{"title":"Functionalized Chinese Medicine-Derived Quercetin Carbon Dots for the Treatment of Osteoporosis.","authors":"Qi Gan, Yuechao Zhang, Jiayi Wang, Pengfei Xue, Yu Fu, Yuan Yuan","doi":"10.1021/acsbiomaterials.6c01241","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) compound formulas are widely employed in the clinical management of osteoporosis; however, their principal bioactive constituents and primary molecular targets remain poorly characterized. Consequently, there is an urgent need for systematic functional exploration of TCM-derived chemicals. In this study, we applied a network pharmacology-based approach to screen four canonical TCM compound prescriptions for antiosteoporotic compounds, identifying a total of 20 candidate molecules. Among these, quercetin was selected as a lead compound for the synthesis of biologically active carbon dots (CDs), which were then integrated with mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) to construct a reactive oxygen species (ROS)-responsive nanocarrier system. In vitro cellular assays demonstrated that both the quercetin-derived CDs and the drug-loaded nanocarriers exhibited excellent cytocompatibility, robust osteogenic-promoting activity, and potent osteoclast-inhibitory effects. Collectively, our findings underscore the utility of network pharmacology in identifying quercetin as a promising TCM-derived lead compound for osteoporosis intervention, and the rational functionalization strategy developed herein provides a valuable paradigm for advancing the therapeutic application of TCM-derived chemicals in bone metabolic disorders.</p>","PeriodicalId":8,"journal":{"name":"ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.0000,"publicationDate":"2026-10-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering","FirstCategoryId":"5","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsbiomaterials.6c01241","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"MATERIALS SCIENCE, BIOMATERIALS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) compound formulas are widely employed in the clinical management of osteoporosis; however, their principal bioactive constituents and primary molecular targets remain poorly characterized. Consequently, there is an urgent need for systematic functional exploration of TCM-derived chemicals. In this study, we applied a network pharmacology-based approach to screen four canonical TCM compound prescriptions for antiosteoporotic compounds, identifying a total of 20 candidate molecules. Among these, quercetin was selected as a lead compound for the synthesis of biologically active carbon dots (CDs), which were then integrated with mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) to construct a reactive oxygen species (ROS)-responsive nanocarrier system. In vitro cellular assays demonstrated that both the quercetin-derived CDs and the drug-loaded nanocarriers exhibited excellent cytocompatibility, robust osteogenic-promoting activity, and potent osteoclast-inhibitory effects. Collectively, our findings underscore the utility of network pharmacology in identifying quercetin as a promising TCM-derived lead compound for osteoporosis intervention, and the rational functionalization strategy developed herein provides a valuable paradigm for advancing the therapeutic application of TCM-derived chemicals in bone metabolic disorders.
期刊介绍：
ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering is the leading journal in the field of biomaterials, serving as an international forum for publishing cutting-edge research and innovative ideas on a broad range of topics:
Applications and Health – implantable tissues and devices, prosthesis, health risks, toxicology
Bio-interactions and Bio-compatibility – material-biology interactions, chemical/morphological/structural communication, mechanobiology, signaling and biological responses, immuno-engineering, calcification, coatings, corrosion and degradation of biomaterials and devices, biophysical regulation of cell functions
Characterization, Synthesis, and Modification – new biomaterials, bioinspired and biomimetic approaches to biomaterials, exploiting structural hierarchy and architectural control, combinatorial strategies for biomaterials discovery, genetic biomaterials design, synthetic biology, new composite systems, bionics, polymer synthesis
Controlled Release and Delivery Systems – biomaterial-based drug and gene delivery, bio-responsive delivery of regulatory molecules, pharmaceutical engineering
Healthcare Advances – clinical translation, regulatory issues, patient safety, emerging trends
Imaging and Diagnostics – imaging agents and probes, theranostics, biosensors, monitoring
Manufacturing and Technology – 3D printing, inks, organ-on-a-chip, bioreactor/perfusion systems, microdevices, BioMEMS, optics and electronics interfaces with biomaterials, systems integration
Modeling and Informatics Tools – scaling methods to guide biomaterial design, predictive algorithms for structure-function, biomechanics, integrating bioinformatics with biomaterials discovery, metabolomics in the context of biomaterials
Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine – basic and applied studies, cell therapies, scaffolds, vascularization, bioartificial organs, transplantation and functionality, cellular agriculture
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