Ultrathin 2D Inorganic Ancient Pigment Decorated 3D-Printing Scaffold Enables Photonic Hyperthermia of Osteosarcoma in NIR-II Biowindow and Concurrently Augments Bone Regeneration

Photothermal switch by gallic acid-calcium grafts synthesized by coordination chemistry for sequential treatment of bone tumor and regeneration

The residual bone tumor and defects which is caused by surgical therapy of bone tumor is a major and important problem in clinicals. And the sequential treatment for irradiating residual tumor and repairing bone defects has wildly prospects. In this study, we developed a general modification strategy by gallic acid (GA)-assisted coordination chemistry to prepare black calcium-based materials, which combines the sequential photothermal therapy of bone tumor and bone defects. The GA modification endows the materials remarkable photothermal properties. Under the near-infrared (NIR) irradiation with different power densities, the black GA-modified bone matrix (GBM) did not merely display an excellent performance in eliminating bone tumor with high temperature, but showed a facile effect of the mild-heat stimulation to accelerate bone regeneration. GBM can efficiently regulate the microenvironments of bone regeneration in a spatial-temporal manner, including inflammation/immune response, vascularization and osteogenic differentiation. Meanwhile, the integrin/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) was revealed to be involved in the effect of osteogenesis induced by the mild-heat stimulation. The outcome of this study not only provides a serial of new multifunctional biomaterials, but also demonstrates a general strategy for designing novel blacked calcium-based biomaterials with great potential for clinical use.

A Se Nanoparticle/MgFe-LDH Composite Nanosheet as a Multifunctional Platform for Osteosarcoma Eradication, Antibacterial and Bone Reconstruction

Despite advances in treating osteosarcoma, postoperative tumor recurrence, periprosthetic infection, and critical bone defects remain critical concerns. Herein, the growth of selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) onto MgFe-LDH nanosheets (LDH) is reported to develop a multifunctional nanocomposite (LDH/Se) and further modification of the nanocomposite on a bioactive glass scaffold (BGS) to obtain a versatile platform (BGS@LDH/Se) for comprehensive postoperative osteosarcoma management. The uniform dispersion of negatively charged SeNPs on the LDH surface restrains toxicity-inducing aggregation and inactivation, thus enhancing superoxide dismutase (SOD) activation and superoxide anion radical (·O2 -)-H2O2 conversion. Meanwhile, Fe3+ within the LDH nanosheets can be reduced to Fe2+ by depleting glutathione (GSH) in the tumor microenvironments (TME), which can catalyze H2O2 into highly toxic reactive oxygen species. More importantly, incorporating SeNPs significantly promotes the anti-bacterial and osteogenic properties of BGS@LDH/Se. Thus, the developed BGS@LDH/Se platform can simultaneously inhibit tumor recurrence and periprosthetic infection as well as promote bone regeneration, thus holding great potential for postoperative "one-stop-shop" management of patients who need osteosarcoma resection and scaffold implantation.

Decoding the "Fingerprint" of Implant Materials: Insights into the Foreign Body Reaction

Foreign body reaction (FBR) is a prevalent yet often overlooked pathological phenomenon, particularly within the field of biomedical implantation. The presence of FBR poses a heavy burden on both the medical and socioeconomic systems. This review seeks to elucidate the protein "fingerprint" of implant materials, which is generated by the physiochemical properties of the implant materials themselves. In this review, the activity of macrophages, the formation of foreign body giant cells (FBGCs), and the development of fibrosis capsules in the context of FBR are introduced. Additionally, the relationship between various implant materials and FBR is elucidated in detail, as is an overview of the existing approaches and technologies employed to alleviate FBR. Finally, the significance of implant components (metallic materials and non-metallic materials), surface CHEMISTRY (charge and wettability), and physical characteristics (topography, roughness, and stiffness) in establishing the protein "fingerprint" of implant materials is also well documented. In conclusion, this review aims to emphasize the importance of FBR on implant materials and provides the current perspectives and approaches in developing implant materials with anti-FBR properties.

Innovative Biomaterials for Bone Tumor Treatment and Regeneration: Tackling Postoperative Challenges and Charting the Path Forward

Surgical resection of bone tumors is the primary approach employed in the treatment of bone cancer. Simultaneously, perioperative interventions, particularly postoperative adjuvant anticancer strategies, play a crucial role in achieving satisfactory therapeutic outcomes. However, the occurrence of postoperative bone tumor recurrence, metastasis, extensive bone defects, and infection are significant risks that can result in unfavorable prognoses or even treatment failure. In recent years, there has been significant progress in the development of biomaterials, leading to the emergence of new treatment options for bone tumor therapy and bone regeneration. This progress report aims to comprehensively analyze the strategic development of unique therapeutic biomaterials with inherent healing properties and bioactive capabilities for bone tissue regeneration. These composite biomaterials, classified into metallic, inorganic non-metallic, and organic types, are thoroughly investigated for their responses to external stimuli such as light or magnetic fields, internal interventions including chemotherapy or catalytic therapy, and combination therapy, as well as their role in bone regeneration. Additionally, an overview of self-healing materials for osteogenesis is provided and their potential applications in combating osteosarcoma and promoting bone formation are explored. Furthermore, the safety concerns of integrated materials and current limitations are addressed, while also discussing the challenges and future prospects.

Current approaches in tissue engineering-based nanotherapeutics for osteosarcoma treatment

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a malignant bone neoplasm plagued by poor prognosis. Major treatment strategies include chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery. Chemotherapy to treat OS has severe adverse effects due to systemic toxicity to healthy cells. A possible way to overcome the limitation is to utilize nanotechnology. Nanotherapeutics is an emerging approach in treating OS using nanoparticulate drug delivery systems. Surgical resection of OS leaves a critical bone defect requiring medical intervention. Recently, tissue engineered scaffolds have been reported to provide physical support to bone defects and aid multimodal treatment of OS. These scaffolds loaded with nanoparticulate delivery systems could also actively repress tumor growth and aid new bone formation. The rapid developments in nanotherapeutics and bone tissue engineering have paved the way for improved treatment efficacy for OS-related bone defects. This review focuses on current bifunctional nanomaterials-based tissue engineered (NTE) scaffolds that use novel approaches such as magnetic hyperthermia, photodynamic therapy, photothermal therapy, bioceramic and polymeric nanotherapeutics against OS. With further optimization and screening, NTE scaffolds could meet clinical applications for treating OS patients.

Silicon-containing nanomedicine and biomaterials: materials chemistry, multi-dimensional design, and biomedical application

The invention of silica-based bioactive glass in the late 1960s has sparked significant interest in exploring a wide range of silicon-containing biomaterials from the macroscale to the nanoscale. Over the past few decades, these biomaterials have been extensively explored for their potential in diverse biomedical applications, considering their remarkable bioactivity, excellent biocompatibility, facile surface functionalization, controllable synthesis, etc. However, to expedite the clinical translation and the unexpected utilization of silicon-composed nanomedicine and biomaterials, it is highly desirable to achieve a thorough comprehension of their characteristics and biological effects from an overall perspective. In this review, we provide a comprehensive discussion on the state-of-the-art progress of silicon-composed biomaterials, including their classification, characteristics, fabrication methods, and versatile biomedical applications. Additionally, we highlight the multi-dimensional design of both pure and hybrid silicon-composed nanomedicine and biomaterials and their intrinsic biological effects and interactions with biological systems. Their extensive biomedical applications span from drug delivery and bioimaging to therapeutic interventions and regenerative medicine, showcasing the significance of their rational design and fabrication to meet specific requirements and optimize their theranostic performance. Additionally, we offer insights into the future prospects and potential challenges regarding silicon-composed nanomedicine and biomaterials. By shedding light on these exciting research advances, we aspire to foster further progress in the biomedical field and drive the development of innovative silicon-composed nanomedicine and biomaterials with transformative applications in biomedicine.

Marriage of a Dual-Plasmonic Interface and Optical Microfiber for NIR-II Cancer Theranostics

The use of light as a powerful tool for disease treatment has introduced a new era in tumor treatment and provided abundant opportunities for light-based tumor theranostics. This work reports a photothermal theranostic fiber integrating cancer detection and therapeutic functions. Its self-heating effect can be tuned at ultralow powers and used for self-heating detection and tumor ablation. The fiber, consisting of a dual-plasmonic nanointerface and an optical microfiber, can be used to distinguish cancer cells from normal cells, quantify cancer cells, perform hyperthermal ablation of cancer cells, and evaluate the ablation efficacy. Its cancer cell ablation rate reaches 89% in a single treatment. In vitro and in vivo studies reveal quick, deep-tissue photonic hyperthermia in the NIR-II window, which can markedly ablate tumors. The marriage of a dual-plasmonic nanointerface and an optical microfiber presents a novel paradigm in photothermal therapy, offering the potential to surmount the challenges posed by limited light penetration depth, nonspecific accumulation in normal tissues, and inadvertent damage in current methods. This work thus provides insight for the exploration of an integrated theranostic platform with simultaneous functions in cancer diagnostics, therapeutics, and postoperative monitoring for future practical applications.

Enhanced Biomimetics of Three-Dimensional Osteosarcoma Models: A Scoping Review

This scoping review evaluated 3D osteosarcoma (OS) models' biomimicry, examining their ability to mimic the tumour microenvironment (TME) and their drug sensitivity. Adhering to PRISMA-ScR guidelines, the systematic search revealed 293 studies, with 70 selected for final analysis. Overall, 64% of 3D OS models were scaffold-based, compared to self-generated spheroid models. Scaffolds generated using native matrix were most common (42%) with collagen I/hydroxyapatite predominating. Both scaffold-based and scaffold-free models were used equally for drug screening. The sensitivity of cancer cells in 3D was reported to be lower than that of cells in 2D in ~90% of the drug screening studies. This correlates with the observed upregulation of drug resistance. OS cells cultured in extracellular matrix (ECM)-mimetic scaffolds and native biomaterials were more resistant than cells in 2D. Co-cultures of OS and stromal cells in 3D models enhanced osteogenic differentiation, ECM remodelling, mineralisation, and angiogenesis, suggesting that tumour-stroma crosstalk promotes disease progression. Seven studies demonstrated selective toxicity of chemotherapeutics towards OS cells while sparing stromal cells, providing useful evidence for developing biomimetic tumour-stroma models to test selective drug toxicity. In conclusion, this review highlights the need to enhance biomimicry in 3D OS models for TME recapitulation, especially in testing novel therapeutics. Future research should explore innovative 3D biomimetic models, biomaterials, and advancements in personalised medicine.

3D Printing Drug-Free Scaffold with Triple-Effect Combination Induced by Copper-Doped Layered Double Hydroxides for the Treatment of Bone Defects

Tissue-engineered poly(l-lactide) (PLLA) scaffolds have been widely used to treat bone defects; however, poor biological activities have always been key challenges for its further application. To address this issue, introducing bioactive drugs or factors is the most commonly used method, but there are often many problems such as high cost, uncontrollable and monotonous drug activity, and poor bioavailability. Here, a drug-free 3D printing PLLA scaffold with a triple-effect combination induced by surface-modified copper-doped layered double hydroxides (Cu-LDHs) is proposed. In the early stage of scaffold implantation, Cu-LDHs exert a photothermal therapy (PTT) effect to generate high temperature to effectively prevent bacterial infection. In the later stage, Cu-LDHs can further have a mild hyperthermia (MHT) effect to stimulate angiogenesis and osteogenic differentiation, demonstrating excellent vascularization and osteogenic activity. More importantly, with the degradation of Cu-LDHs, the released Cu2+ and Mg2+ provide an ion microenvironment effect and further synergize with the MHT effect to stimulate angiogenesis and osteogenic differentiation, thus more effectively promoting the healing of bone tissue. This triple-effect combined scaffold exhibits outstanding antibacterial, osteogenic, and angiogenic activities, as well as the advantages of low cost, convenient procedure, and long-term efficacy, and is expected to provide a promising strategy for clinical repair of bone defects.

Advances in the Application of Photothermal Composite Scaffolds for Osteosarcoma Ablation and Bone Regeneration

Photothermal therapy is a promising approach to cancer treatment. The energy generated by the photothermal effect can effectively inhibit the growth of cancer cells without harming normal tissues, while the right amount of heat can also promote cell proliferation and accelerate tissue regeneration. Various nanomaterials have recently been used as photothermal agents (PTAs). The photothermal composite scaffolds can be obtained by introducing PTAs into bone tissue engineering (BTE) scaffolds, which produces a photothermal effect that can be used to ablate bone cancer with subsequent further use of the scaffold as a support to repair the bone defects created by ablation of osteosarcoma. Osteosarcoma is the most common among primary bone malignancies. However, a review of the efficacy of different types of photothermal composite scaffolds in osteosarcoma is lacking. This article first introduces the common PTAs, BTE materials, and preparation methods and then systematically summarizes the development of photothermal composite scaffolds. It would provide a useful reference for the combination of tumor therapy and tissue engineering in bone tumor-related diseases and complex diseases. It will also be valuable for advancing the clinical applications of photothermal composite scaffolds.

Bifunctional bone substitute materials for bone defect treatment after bone tumor resection

Aggressive benign, malignant and metastatic bone tumors can greatly decrease the quality of patients' lives and even lead to substantial mortality. Several clinical therapeutic strategies have been developed to treat bone tumors, including preoperative chemotherapy, surgical resection of the tumor tissue, and subsequent systemic chemo- or radiotherapy. However, those strategies are associated with inevitable drawbacks, such as severe side effects, substantial local tumor recurrence, and difficult-to-treat bone defects after tumor resection. To overcome these shortcomings and achieve satisfactory clinical outcomes, advanced bifunctional biomaterials which simultaneously promote bone regeneration and combat bone tumor growth are increasingly advocated. These bifunctional bone substitute materials fill bone defects following bone tumor resection and subsequently exert local anticancer effects. Here we describe various types of the most prevalent bone tumors and provide an overview of common treatment options. Subsequently, we review current progress regarding the development of bifunctional bone substitute materials combining osteogenic and anticancer efficacy. To this end, we categorize these biomaterials based on their anticancer mechanism deriving from i) intrinsic biomaterial properties, ii) local drug release of anticancer agents, and iii) oxidative stress-inducing and iv) hyperthermia-inducing biomaterials. Consequently, this review offers researchers, surgeons and oncologists an up-to-date overview of our current knowledge on bone tumors, their treatment options, and design of advanced bifunctional biomaterials with strong potential for clinical application in oncological orthopedics.

IOX1 epigenetically enhanced photothermal therapy of 3D-printing silicene scaffolds against osteosarcoma with favorable bone regeneration

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the third most common malignancy in adolescence. Currently, the treatments of OS confront great obstacles of tumor recurrence and critical bone defects after surgery, severely affecting the survival rates and living qualities of patients. Hence, it is urged to develop distinct biomaterials with both efficient tumor therapeutic and osteogenic functions. Although photothermal therapy (PTT) has aroused expanding interest, characterizing negligible invasiveness and high spatiotemporal adjustment, few studies discussed its drawbacks, such as thermal injury to adjacent normal tissue and exceeded laser power density, implying that focusing on sensitizing OS to PTT instead of simply elevating the laser power density may be a fresh way to enhance the PTT efficacy and attenuate the side/adverse effects. Herein, we successfully constructed 3D-printing silicene bioactive glass scaffolds with preferable PTT efficacy at the second near-infrared (NIR-II) biowindow and outstanding osteogenic biofunctions owing to the release of bioactive elements during degradation. Impressively, a histone demethylase inhibitor, IOX1, was introduced before PTT to sensitize OS to thermal therapy and minimize the side/adverse effects. This work offered a distinctive paradigm for optimizing the PTT efficacy of osteogenic scaffolds against OS with epigenetic modulation agents.

Application of 3D printing technology in tumor diagnosis and treatment

3D printing technology is an increasing approach consisting of material manufacturing through the selective incremental delamination of materials to form a 3D structure to produce products. This technology has different advantages, including low cost, short time, diversification, and high precision. Widely adopted additive manufacturing technologies enable the creation of diagnostic tools and expand treatment options. Coupled with its rapid deployment, 3D printing is endowed with high customizability that enables users to build prototypes in shorts amounts of time which translates into faster adoption in the medical field. This review mainly summarizes the application of 3D printing technology in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, including the challenges and the prospects combined with other technologies applied to the medical field.

Multifunctional 3D-printed scaffolds eradiate orthotopic osteosarcoma and promote osteogenesis via microwave thermo-chemotherapy combined with immunotherapy

Tumor recurrence and a lack of bone-tissue integration are two critical concerns in the surgical treatment of osteosarcoma. Thus, an advanced multifunctional therapeutic platform capable of simultaneously eliminating residual tumor cells and promoting bone regeneration is urgently needed for efficient osteosarcoma treatment. Herein, to thoroughly eliminate tumors and simultaneously promote bone regeneration, an intelligent multifunctional therapeutic scaffold has been engineered by integrating microwave-responsive zeolitic imidazolate framework 8 (ZIF-8) nanomaterials loaded with a chemotherapeutic drug and an immune checkpoint inhibitor onto 3D-printed titanium scaffolds. The constructed scaffold features distinct microwave-thermal sensitization and tumor microenvironment-responsive characteristics, which can induce tumor immunogenic death by microwave hyperthermia and chemotherapy. Orthotopic implantation of the nanocomposite scaffold results in an enhanced immune response against osteosarcoma that may effectively inhibit tumor recurrence through synergistic immunotherapy. During long-term implantation, the zinc ions released from the degradation of ZIF-8 can induce the osteogenic differentiation of stem cells. The porous structure and mechanical properties of the 3D-printed titanium scaffolds provide a structural microenvironment for bone regeneration. This study provides a paradigm for the design of multifunctional microwave-responsive composite scaffolds for use as a therapy for osteosarcoma, which could lead to improved strategies for the treatment of the disease.

Copper-Single-Atom Coordinated Nanotherapeutics for Enhanced Sonothermal-Parallel Catalytic Synergistic Cancer Therapy

Phototherapy and sonotherapy are recognized by scientific medicine as effective strategies for treating certain cancers. However, these strategies have limitations such as an inability to penetrate deeper tissues and overcome the antioxidant tumor microenvironment. In this study, a novel "BH" interfacial-confined coordination strategy to synthesize hyaluronic acid-functionalized single copper atoms dispersed over boron imidazolate framework-derived nanocubes (HA-NC_Cu) to achieve sonothermal-catalytic synergistic therapy is reported. Notably, HA-NC_Cu demonstrates exceptional sonothermal conversion performance under low-intensity ultrasound irradiation, attained through intermolecular lattice vibrations. In addition, it shows promise as an efficient biocatalyst, able to generate high-toxicity hydroxyl radicals in response to tumor-endogenous hydrogen peroxide and glutathione. Density functional theory calculations reveal that the superior parallel catalytic performance of HA-NC_Cu originates from the CuN4 C/B active sites. Both in vitro and in vivo evaluations consistently demonstrate that the sonothermal-catalytic synergistic strategy significantly improves tumor inhibition rate (86.9%) and long-term survival rate (100%). In combination with low-intensity ultrasound irradiation, HA-NC_Cu triggers a dual death pathway of apoptosis and ferroptosis in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells, comprehensively limiting primary triple-negative breast cancer. This study highlights the applications of single-atom-coordinated nanotherapeutics in sonothermal-catalytic synergistic therapy, which may create new opportunities in biomedical research.

Recent progress of 4D printing in cancer therapeutics studies

Cancer is a critical cause of global human death. Not only are complex approaches to cancer prognosis, accurate diagnosis, and efficient therapeutics concerned, but post-treatments like postsurgical or chemotherapeutical effects are also followed up. The four-dimensional (4D) printing technique has gained attention for its potential applications in cancer therapeutics. It is the next generation of the three-dimensional (3D) printing technique, which facilitates the advanced fabrication of dynamic constructs like programmable shapes, controllable locomotion, and on-demand functions. As is well-known, it is still in the initial stage of cancer applications and requires the insight study of 4D printing. Herein, we present the first effort to report on 4D printing technology in cancer therapeutics. This review will illustrate the mechanisms used to induce the dynamic constructs of 4D printing in cancer management. The recent potential applications of 4D printing in cancer therapeutics will be further detailed, and future perspectives and conclusions will finally be proposed.

Localized Nanoparticle-Mediated Delivery of miR-29b Normalizes the Dysregulation of Bone Homeostasis Caused by Osteosarcoma whilst Simultaneously Inhibiting Tumor Growth

Patients diagnosed with osteosarcoma undergo extensive surgical intervention and chemotherapy resulting in dismal prognosis and compromised quality of life owing to poor bone regeneration, which is further compromised with chemotherapy delivery. This study aims to investigate if localized delivery of miR-29b-which is shown to promote bone formation by inducing osteoblast differentiation and also to suppress prostate and cervical tumor growth-can suppress osteosarcoma tumors whilst simultaneously normalizing the dysregulation of bone homeostasis caused by osteosarcoma. Thus, the therapeutic potential of microRNA (miR)-29b is studied to promote bone remodeling in an orthotopic model of osteosarcoma (rather than in bone defect models using healthy mice), and in the context of chemotherapy, that is clinically relevant. A formulation of miR-29b:nanoparticles are developed that are delivered via a hyaluronic-based hydrogel to enable local and sustained release of the therapy and to study the potential of attenuating tumor growth whilst normalizing bone homeostasis. It is found that when miR-29b is delivered along with systemic chemotherapy, compared to chemotherapy alone, the therapy provided a significant decrease in tumor burden, an increase in mouse survival, and a significant decrease in osteolysis thereby normalizing the dysregulation of bone lysis activity caused by the tumor.

Two Hawks with One Arrow: A Review on Bifunctional Scaffolds for Photothermal Therapy and Bone Regeneration

Despite the significant improvement in the survival rate of cancer patients, the total cure of bone cancer is still a knotty clinical challenge. Traditional surgical resectionof bone tumors is less than satisfactory, which inevitably results in bone defects and the inevitable residual tumor cells. For the purpose of realizing minimal invasiveness and local curative effects, photothermal therapy (PTT) under the irradiation of near-infrared light has made extensive progress in ablating tumors, and various photothermal therapeutic agents (PTAs) for the treatment of bone tumors have thus been reported in the past few years, has and have tended to focus on osteogenic bio-scaffolds modified with PTAs in order to break through the limitation that PTT lacks, osteogenic capacity. These so-called bifunctional scaffolds simultaneously ablate bone tumors and generate new tissues at the bone defects. This review summarizes the recent application progress of various bifunctional scaffolds and puts forward some practical constraints and future perspectives on bifunctional scaffolds for tumor therapy and bone regeneration: two hawks with one arrow.

Additively manufactured Bi-functionalized bioceramics for reconstruction of bone tumor defects

Bone tissue exhibits critical factors for metastatic cancer cells and represents an extremely pleasant spot for further growth of tumors. The number of metastatic bone lesions and primary tumors that arise directly from cells comprised in the bone milieu is constantly increasing. Bioceramics have recently received significant attention in bone tissue engineering and local drug delivery applications. Additionally, additive manufacturing of bioceramics offers unprecedented advantages including the possibilities to fill irregular voids after the resection and fabricate patient-specific implants. Herein, we investigated the recent advances in additively manufactured bioceramics and ceramic-based composites that were used in the local bone tumor treatment and reconstruction of bone tumor defects. Furthermore, it has been extensively explained how to bi-functionalize ceramics-based biomaterials and what current limitations impede their clinical application. We have also discussed the importance of further development into ceramic-based biomaterials and molecular biology of bone tumors to: (1) discover new potential therapeutic targets to enhance conventional therapies, (2) local delivering of bio-molecular agents in a customized and "smart" way, and (3) accomplish a complete elimination of tumor cells in order to prevent tumor recurrence formation. We emphasized that by developing the research focus on the introduction of novel 3D-printed bioceramics with unique properties such as stimuli responsiveness, it will be possible to fabricate smart bioceramics that promote bone regeneration while minimizing the side-effects and effectively eradicate bone tumors while promoting bone regeneration. In fact, by combining all these therapeutic strategies and additive manufacturing, it is likely to provide personalized tumor-targeting therapies for cancer patients in the foreseeable future. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: To increase the survival rates of cancer patients, different strategies such as surgery, reconstruction, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, etc have proven to be essential. Nonetheless, these therapeutic protocols have reached a plateau in their effectiveness due to limitations including drug resistance, tumor recurrence after surgery, toxic side-effects, and impaired bone regeneration following tumor resection. Hence, novel approaches to specifically and locally attack cancer cells, while also regenerating the damaged bony tissue, have being developed in the past years. This review sheds light to the novel approaches that enhance local bone tumor therapy and reconstruction procedures by combining additive manufacturing of ceramic biomaterials and other polymers, bioactive molecules, nanoparticles to affect bone tumor functions, metabolism, and microenvironment.

Multifunctional inorganic biomaterials: New weapons targeting osteosarcoma

Osteosarcoma is the malignant tumor with the highest incidence rate among primary bone tumors and with a high mortality rate. The anti-osteosarcoma materials are the cross field between material science and medicine, having a wide range of application prospects. Among them, biological materials, such as compounds from black phosphorous, magnesium, zinc, copper, silver, etc., becoming highly valued in the biological materials field as well as in orthopedics due to their good biocompatibility, similar mechanical properties with biological bones, good biodegradation effect, and active antibacterial and anti-tumor effects. This article gives a comprehensive review of the research progress of anti-osteosarcoma biomaterials.

Recent advances in 2D material-based phototherapy

Phototherapy, which generally refers to photothermal therapy (PTT) and photodynamic therapy (PDT), has received significant attention over the past few years since it is non-invasive, has effective selectivity, and has few side effects. As a result, it has become a promising alternative to traditional clinical treatments. At present, two-dimensional materials (2D materials) have proven to be at the forefront of the development of advanced nanomaterials due to their ultrathin structures and fascinating optical properties. As a result, much work has been put into developing phototherapy platforms based on 2D materials. This review summarizes the current developments in 2D materials beyond graphene for phototherapy, focusing on the novel approaches of PTT and PDT. New methods are being developed to go above and beyond conventional treatment to fully use the potential of 2D materials. Additionally, the efficacy of cutting-edge phototherapy is assessed, and the existing difficulties and future prospects of 2D materials for phototherapy are covered.

Catalytic anti-oxidative stress for osteoarthritis treatment by few-layered phosphorene

As one of the most common representations of articular cartilage damage, osteoarthritis (OA) is characterized by the apoptosis and dysfunction of chondrocytes as well as the progressive degradation of extracellular matrix, of which the main components are glycosaminoglycan and type Ⅱ collagen. Few-layered phosphorene (FLP) has been attracting great attentions in biomedical fields owing to the excellent capability of in-situ catalysis for scavenging oxidate-associated molecules, especially the reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS). Herein, FLP has been fabricated and employed for articular cartilage protection by means of deleting oxidate-associated molecules. The in vitro results show that as low as 200 ​μg/mL FLP is capable of diminishing oxidative damages on the osteoarthritic chondrocytes through the efficient elimination of ROS, H₂O₂ and NO. Meanwhile, the cartilage matrix protection has also been achieved at 200 ​μg/mL FLP by the uniform restoration of glycosaminoglycan and type Ⅱ collagen. FLP enables the nanocatalytic treatment for the overloaded oxidative stress in the injured articular cartilage and represents a promising alternative for osteoarthritis therapy.

Preparation, properties and applications of near-infrared fluorescent silicate nanosheets

The layered silicates Egyptian Blue (CaCuSi₄O₁₀, EB), Han Blue (BaCuSi₄O₁₀, HB) and Han Purple (BaCuSi₂O₆, HP) are known as historic pigments, but they also possess novel optoelectronic properties with great potential for fundamental research and technology. They fluoresce in the near-infrared (NIR) range and can be exfoliated into two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials (i.e. nanosheets, NS) which retain the photophysical properties of the bulk materials. These and other characteristics fuel the growing excitement of the scientific community about these materials. EB-, HB- and HP-NS have been used in various applications ranging from smart inks, energy storage, bioimaging, to phototherapy and more. In this review article, we report the fundamental properties of these low-dimensional silicate nanomaterials, discuss applications and outline perspectives for the future.

Bifunctional scaffolds for tumor therapy and bone regeneration: Synergistic effect and interplay between therapeutic agents and scaffold materials

Bone tumor patients often face the problems with cancer cell residues and bone defects after the operation. Therefore, researchers have developed many bifunctional scaffolds with both tumor treatment and bone repair functions. Therapeutic agents are usually combined with bioactive scaffolds to achieve the "bifunctional". However, the synergistic effect of bifunctional scaffolds on tumor therapy and bone repair, as well as the interplay between therapeutic agents and scaffold materials in bifunctional scaffolds, have not been emphasized and discussed. This review proposes a promising design scheme for bifunctional scaffolds: the synergistic effect and interplay between the therapeutic agents and scaffold materials. This review summarizes the latest research progress in bifunctional scaffolds for therapeutic applications and regeneration. In particular, it summarizes the role of tumor therapeutic agents in bone regeneration and the role of scaffold materials in tumor treatment. Finally, a perspective on the future development of bifunctional scaffolds for tumor therapy and bone regeneration is discussed.

Minimally invasive nanomedicine: nanotechnology in photo-/ultrasound-/radiation-/magnetism-mediated therapy and imaging

Traditional treatments such as chemotherapy and surgery usually cause severe side effects and excruciating pain. The emergence of nanomedicines and minimally invasive therapies (MITs) has brought hope to patients with malignant diseases. Especially, minimally invasive nanomedicines (MINs), which combine the advantages of nanomedicines and MITs, can effectively target pathological cells/tissues/organs to improve the bioavailability of drugs, minimize side effects and achieve painless treatment with a small incision or no incision, thereby acquiring good therapeutic effects. In this review, we provide a comprehensive review of the research status and challenges of MINs, which generally refers to the medical applications of nanotechnology in photo-/ultrasound-/radiation-/magnetism-mediated therapy and imaging. Additionally, we also discuss their combined application in various fields including cancers, cardiovascular diseases, tissue engineering, neuro-functional diseases, and infectious diseases. The prospects, and potential bench-to-bedside translation of MINs are also presented in this review. We expect that this review can inspire the broad interest for a wide range of readers working in the fields of interdisciplinary subjects including (but not limited to) chemistry, nanomedicine, bioengineering, nanotechnology, materials science, pharmacology, and biomedicine.