Biomineralization from the Perspective of Ion Aggregation: Calcium Phosphate Nucleation in the Physiological Environment

Understanding the bio-crystallization: An insight to therapeutic relevance

In the realm of biomedical engineering and materials science, the synthesis of biomaterials plays a pivotal role in advancing therapeutic strategies for regeneration of tissues. The deliberate control of crystallization processes in biomaterial synthesis has emerged as a key avenue for tailoring the properties of these materials, enabling the design of innovative solutions for a wide array of medical applications. This review delves into the interplay between controlled crystallization and biomaterial synthesis, exploring its multifaceted applications in the therapeutic domains. The investigation encompasses a wide spectrum of matrices, ranging from small molecules to large biomolecules, highlighting their unique contributions in modulating crystallization processes. Furthermore, the review critically assesses the analytical techniques and methodologies employed to probe and characterize the depths of crystallization dynamics. Advanced imaging, spectroscopic, and computational tools are discussed in the context of unraveling the intricate mechanisms governing nucleation and crystallization processes within the organic matrix. Finally we delve in the applications of such advance material in therapeutics of hard and soft tissues.

Nucleation Domains in Biomineralization: Biomolecular Sequence and Conformational Features

Biomolecules play a vital role in the regulation of biomineralization. However, the characteristics of practical nucleation domains are still sketchy. Herein, the effects of the representative biomolecular sequence and conformations on calcium phosphate (Ca-P) nucleation and mineralization are investigated. The results of computer simulations and experiments prove that the line in the arrangement of dual acidic/essential amino acids with a single interval (Bc (Basic) -N (Neutral) -Bc-N-Ac (Acidic)- NN-Ac-N) is most conducive to the nucleation. 2α-helix conformation can best induce Ca-P ion cluster formation and nucleation. "Ac- × × × -Bc" sequences with α-helix are found to be the features of efficient nucleation domains, in which process, molecular recognition plays a non-negligible role. It further indicates that the sequence determines the potential of nucleation/mineralization of biomolecules, and conformation determines the ability of that during functional execution. The findings will guide the synthesis of biomimetic mineralized materials with improved performance for bone repair.

Calcium phosphate hybrid micelles inhibit orthotopic bone metastasis from triple negative breast cancer by simultaneously killing cancer cells and reprogramming the microenvironment of bone resorption and immunosuppression

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is prone to develop drug resistance and metastasis. Bone is the most common distant metastasis site of breast cancer cell. Patients with bone metastasis from TNBC suffer from unbearable pain due to the growth of bone metastasis and bone destruction. Simultaneously blocking the growth of bone metastasis and reprogramming the microenvironment of bone resorption and immunosuppression is a promising strategy to treat bone metastasis from TNBC. Herein, we prepared a pH and redox responsive drug delivery system, named DZ@CPH, by encapsulating docetaxel (DTX) with hyaluronic acid-polylactic acid micelle then reinforcing with calcium phosphate and zoledronate for targeting to bone metastasis from TNBC. DZ@CPH reduced the activation of osteoclast and inhibited bone resorption by decreasing the expression of nuclear factor κB receptor ligand and increasing the expression of osteoprotegerin in drug-resistant bone metastasis tissue. At the same time, DZ@CPH inhibited the invasion of bone metastatic TNBC cells by regulating the apoptosis-related and invasion-related protein expression. It also increased the sensitivity of orthotopic drug-resistant bone metastasis to DTX by inhibiting the expression of P-glycoprotein, Bcl-2 and transforming growth factor-β in tissue of drug-resistant bone metastasis. Moreover, the ratio between M1 type macrophage to M2 type macrophage in bone metastasis tissue was increased by DZ@CPH. In a word, DZ@CPH blocked the growth of bone metastasis from drug-resistant TNBC through inducing the apoptosis of drug-resistant TNBC cells and reprogramming the microenvironment of bone resorption and immunosuppression. DZ@CPH has a great potential in clinical application for the treatment of bone metastasis from drug-resistant TNBC. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is prone to develop bone metastasis. Now bone metastasis is still an intractable disease. In this study, docetaxel and zoledronate co-loaded calcium phosphate hybrid micelles (DZ@CPH) were prepared. DZ@CPH reduced the activation of osteoclasts and inhibited bone resorption. At the same time, DZ@CPH inhibited the invasion of bone metastatic TNBC cells by regulating the expression of apoptosis and invasion related protein in bone metastasis tissue. Moreover, the ratio between M1 type macrophages to M2 type macrophages in bone metastases tissue was increased by DZ@CPH. In a word, DZ@CPH blocked vicious cycle between the growth of bone metastasis and bone resorption, which greatly improved the therapeutic effect on bone metastasis from drug-resistant TNBC.

Computational Design and Manufacturing of Sustainable Materials through First-Principles and Materiomics

Engineered materials are ubiquitous throughout society and are critical to the development of modern technology, yet many current material systems are inexorably tied to widespread deterioration of ecological processes. Next-generation material systems can address goals of environmental sustainability by providing alternatives to fossil fuel-based materials and by reducing destructive extraction processes, energy costs, and accumulation of solid waste. However, development of sustainable materials faces several key challenges including investigation, processing, and architecting of new feedstocks that are often relatively mechanically weak, complex, and difficult to characterize or standardize. In this review paper, we outline a framework for examining sustainability in material systems and discuss how recent developments in modeling, machine learning, and other computational tools can aid the discovery of novel sustainable materials. We consider these through the lens of materiomics, an approach that considers material systems holistically by incorporating perspectives of all relevant scales, beginning with first-principles approaches and extending through the macroscale to consider sustainable material design from the bottom-up. We follow with an examination of how computational methods are currently applied to select examples of sustainable material development, with particular emphasis on bioinspired and biobased materials, and conclude with perspectives on opportunities and open challenges.

Pea pod-mimicking hydroxyapatite nanowhisker-reinforced poly(lactic acid) composites with bone-like strength

The anisotropic hierarchical structures of naturally derived materials have offered useful design principles for the fabrication of high-strength and functional materials. Herein, we unraveled a structure-by-bionics approach to construction of pea pod-mimicking architecture for poly(lactic acid) (PLA) composites impregnated with hydroxyapatite nanowhiskers (HANWs). The HANWs (length of 80-120 nm, diameter of ~30 nm) were customized using microwave-assisted aqueous biomineralization at minute level, which were incorporated into PLA microfibers by electrospinning with filler loadings of 10-30 wt%. The membranes comprising HANW-modified PLA microfibers were stacked and structured into composite films, strategically involving high-pressure compression at a relatively low temperature to impart the confined structuring mechanisms. It thus allowed partial melting and thinning of PLA microfibers into nanofibers, onto which the discrete HANWs were tightly adhered and embedded, showing distinguished architectural configurations identical with pea pod. More importantly, the mechanical properties and bioactivity were remarkably promoted, as demonstrated by the increments of over 54 % and nearly 72 % for the yield strength and elastic modulus (71.6 and 2547 MPa) of the structured composite loaded 30 wt% HANWs compared to those of pure PLA (46.4 and 1484 MPa), as accompanied by significant improvements in the bioactivity to nucleate and create apatite entities in mineral solution. The unusual combination of excellent biological characteristics and bone-like mechanical elasticity and extensibility make the structured PLA composites promising for guided bone/tissue regeneration therapy.

Molecular investigations of the prenucleation mechanism of bone-like apatite assisted by type I collagen nanofibrils: insights into intrafibrillar mineralization

Bone is a typical inorganic-organic composite material with a multilevel hierarchical organization. In the lowest level of bone tissue, inorganic minerals, which are mainly composed of hydroxyapatite, are mineralized within the type I collagen fibril scaffold. Understanding the crystal prenucleation mechanism and growth of the inorganic phase is particularly important in the design and development of materials with biomimetic nanostructures. In this study, we built an all-atom human type I collagen fibrillar model with a 67 nm overlap/gap D-periodicity. Arginine residues were shown to serve as the dominant cross-linker to stabilize the fibril scaffold. Subsequently, the prenucleation mechanism of collagen intrafibrillar mineralization was investigated using a molecular dynamics approach. Considering the physiological pH of the human body (i.e., ∼7.4), HPO₄^2- was initially used to simulate the protonation state of the phosphate ions. Due to the spatially constrained effects resulting from the overlap/gap structure of the collagen fibrils, calcium phosphate clusters formed mainly inside the hole zone but with different spatial distributions along the long axis direction; this indicated that the nucleation of calcium phosphate may be highly site-selective. Furthermore, the model containing both HPO₄^2- and PO₄^3- in the solution phase formed significantly larger clusters without any change in the nucleation sites. This phenomenon suggests that the existence of PO₄^3- is beneficial for the mineralization process, and so the conversion of HPO₄^2- to PO₄^3- was considered a critical step during mineralization. Finally, we summarize the nucleation mechanism for collagen intrafibrillar mineralization, which could contribute to the fabrication of mineralized collagen biomimetic materials.