Supercritical CO2-assisted fabrication of CM-PDA/SF/nHA nanofibrous scaffolds for bone regeneration and chemo-photothermal therapy against osteosarcoma

Polydopamine-Based Biomaterials in Orthopedic Therapeutics: Properties, Applications, and Future Perspectives

Polydopamine is a versatile and modifiable polymer, known for its excellent biocompatibility and adhesiveness. It can also be engineered into a variety of nanoparticles and biomaterials for drug delivery, functional modification, making it an excellent choice to enhance the prevention and treatment of orthopedic diseases. Currently, the application of polydopamine biomaterials in orthopedic disease prevention and treatment is in its early stages, despite some initial achievements. This article aims to review these applications to encourage further development of polydopamine for orthopedic therapeutic needs. We detail the properties of polydopamine and its biomaterial types, highlighting its superior performance in functional modification on nanoparticles and materials. Additionally, we also explore the challenges and future prospects in developing optimal polydopamine biomaterials for clinical use in orthopedic disease prevention and treatment.

Effects of chain lengths and backbone chirality on the bone-targeting ability of poly(glutamic acid)s

Anionic synthetic polypeptides are promising candidates as standalone bone-targeting drug carriers. Nevertheless, the structure-property relationship of the bone-targeting ability of polypeptides remains largely unexplored. Herein we report the optimization of the in vitro and in vivo bone-targeting ability of poly(glutamic acid)s (PGAs) by altering their chain lengths and backbone chirality. PGA 100-mers exhibited higher hydroxyapatite affinity in vitro, but their rapid macrophage clearance limited their targeting ability. Shorter PGA was therefore favored in terms of in vivo bone targeting. Meanwhile, the backbone chirality showed less significant impact on the in vitro and in vivo targeting behavior. This study highlights the modulation of structural parameters on the bone-targeting performance of anionic polypeptides, shedding light on the future design of polypeptide-based carriers.

Advancements in Photothermal Therapy Using Near-Infrared Light for Bone Tumors

Bone tumors, particularly osteosarcoma, are prevalent among children and adolescents. This ailment has emerged as the second most frequent cause of cancer-related mortality in adolescents. Conventional treatment methods comprise extensive surgical resection, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. Consequently, the management of bone tumors and bone regeneration poses significant clinical challenges. Photothermal tumor therapy has attracted considerable attention owing to its minimal invasiveness and high selectivity. However, key challenges have limited its widespread clinical use. Enhancing the tumor specificity of photosensitizers through targeting or localized activation holds potential for better outcomes with fewer adverse effects. Combinations with chemotherapies or immunotherapies also present avenues for improvement. In this review, we provide an overview of the most recent strategies aimed at overcoming the limitations of photothermal therapy (PTT), along with current research directions in the context of bone tumors, including (1) target strategies, (2) photothermal therapy combined with multiple therapies (immunotherapies, chemotherapies, and chemodynamic therapies, magnetic, and photodynamic therapies), and (3) bifunctional scaffolds for photothermal therapy and bone regeneration. We delve into the pros and cons of these combination methods and explore current research focal points. Lastly, we address the challenges and prospects of photothermal combination therapy.

A bibliometric and visualized analysis of nanoparticles in musculoskeletal diseases (from 2013 to 2023)

As the pace of research on nanomedicine for musculoskeletal (MSK) diseases accelerates, there remains a lack of comprehensive analysis regarding the development trajectory, primary authors, and research focal points in this domain. Additionally, there's a need of detailed elucidation of potential research hotspots. The study gathered articles and reviews focusing on the utilization of nanoparticles (NPs) for MSK diseases published between 2013 and 2023, extracted from the Web of Science database. Bibliometric and visualization analyses were conducted using various tools such as VOSviewer, CiteSpace, Pajek, Scimago Graphica, and the R package. China, the USA, and India emerged as the key drivers in this research domain. Among the numerous institutions involved, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Sichuan University exhibited the highest productivity levels. Vallet-Regi Maria emerged as the most prolific author in this field. International Journal of Nanomedicine accounted for the largest number of publications in this area. The top five disorders of utmost significance in this field include osteosarcoma, cartilage diseases, bone fractures, bone neoplasms, and joint diseases. These findings are instrumental in providing researchers with a comprehensive understanding of this domain and offer valuable perspectives for future investigations.

Engineered nanomaterials enhance drug delivery strategies for the treatment of osteosarcoma

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common malignant bone tumor in adolescents, and the clinical treatment of OS mainly includes surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. However, the side effects of chemotherapy drugs are an issue that clinicians cannot ignore. Nanomedicine and drug delivery technologies play an important role in modern medicine. The development of nanomedicine has ushered in a new turning point in tumor treatment. With the emergence and development of nanoparticles, nanoparticle energy surfaces can be designed with different targeting effects. Not only that, nanoparticles have unique advantages in drug delivery. Nanoparticle delivery drugs can not only reduce the toxic side effects of chemotherapy drugs, but due to the enhanced permeability retention (EPR) properties of tumor cells, nanoparticles can survive longer in the tumor microenvironment and continuously release carriers to tumor cells. Preclinical studies have confirmed that nanoparticles can effectively delay tumor growth and improve the survival rate of OS patients. In this manuscript, we present the role of nanoparticles with different functions in the treatment of OS and look forward to the future treatment of improved nanoparticles in OS.