Biomaterials Science最新文献

{"title":"Cyclic dipeptide-based antimicrobials with potent antibacterial activity.","authors":"Zhe Zong, Guowenlie Gao, Pengqi Wan, Chunsheng Xiao, Xuesi Chen","doi":"10.1039/d6bm00925e","DOIUrl":"10.1039/d6bm00925e","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The spread of antibiotic resistance has become a major challenge in global public health, and there is an urgent need to develop novel antibacterial agents with low resistance. Peptide-based antibacterial agents have attracted increasing attention for their membrane-targeting mechanisms, which may reduce the risk of the development of resistance. Herein, a series of quaternary ammonium-modified cyclic dipeptides (named cHH<i>n-m</i>) were designed and synthesized through a quaternization reaction and their antibacterial activity and cytotoxicity were systematically investigated. The optimal cyclic dipeptides (cHH8-6) demonstrated the best antibacterial ability with MIC values of 2.0 and 3.9 μg mL^-1 against <i>S. aureus</i> and <i>E. coli</i>, respectively. Antibacterial mechanism studies indicate that cHH8-6 can bind to a negatively charged bacterial membrane through electrostatic interactions, subsequently disrupting the integrity of the bacterial membrane. Due to its unique mechanism, cHH8-6 is less likely to induce bacterial resistance compared to clinical antibiotics. In addition, cHH8-6 effectively inhibited bacterial biofilm formation and eradicated mature bacterial biofilms. In bacterial-induced mouse models of epidermal and keratitis infections, cHH8-6 effectively reduces the bacterial count at the infection site with negligible <i>in vivo</i> toxicity. This study provides a novel approach for treating clinical bacterial infections.</p>","PeriodicalId":65,"journal":{"name":"Biomaterials Science","volume":" ","pages":"4704-4713"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148596698","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Host-directed antimicrobial peptide biomaterials for combating Gram-negative bacterial infections.","authors":"Muhammad Adil, Muhammad Arshad, Pengfei Zou, Li-Li Li","doi":"10.1039/d6bm00666c","DOIUrl":"10.1039/d6bm00666c","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) represents a defining crisis in modern infectious disease medicine. Gram-negative microbes such as carbapenem-resistant <i>Acinetobacter baumannii</i>, <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i>, and <i>Klebsiella pneumoniae</i> are becoming more resistant than ever. Traditional methods of treatment using antibiotics are ineffective because of the presence of several envelope layers, active efflux pumps, and biofilm production. In contrast, bacteriolytic therapy can exacerbate host immunopathology owing to systemic endotoxin release. Host-defense peptides are thus being explored for their ability to kill bacteria, neutralize lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and modulate innate immune responses in a single treatment; however, clinical use remains hindered by their low stability, high binding to serum proteins, and narrow therapeutic index. In this review, we will discuss the use of biomaterial platforms in the design of peptide-based therapeutics to not only increase their efficacy by reducing peptide clearance but also optimize the immunological environment in which these peptides operate. We will discuss the role of various characteristics, such as surface chemistry, mechanical stiffness, and protein corona, in influencing macrophage polarization and downstream signaling pathways. In addition, we point out a significant limitation within this area of research: many preclinical studies continue to use minimum inhibitory concentration and hemolysis values, which fail to account for the host-directed effects that make these approaches significant. For future progress in this realm, new endpoints are required, along with more clinically relevant animal models and a true incorporation of peptide design into biomaterials engineering.</p>","PeriodicalId":65,"journal":{"name":"Biomaterials Science","volume":" ","pages":"4399-4417"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148395333","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Biomaterial-mediated immunomodulation of regulatory T cells in cancer.","authors":"Autumn C Hengen, Helena H Kolon, Marian A Ackun-Farmmer","doi":"10.1039/d6bm00653a","DOIUrl":"10.1039/d6bm00653a","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Immunosuppressive cancers are characterized by tumor microenvironments (TME) that actively inhibit anti-tumor immune responses. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) within the TME are major players in this disruption, owing to their enhanced suppressive capabilities. Thus, targeting this population may be the key to the success of cancer immunotherapies that fail in certain patients. Notably, Tregs play a critical role in immune homeostasis; therefore, strategies to modulate their function must prioritize selective modulation to reduce the risk of unwanted autoimmunity. Biomaterials are versatile platforms for addressing this therapeutic challenge, as they enable spatiotemporal delivery of immunomodulatory agents with reduced unwanted side effects. This review focuses on emerging biomaterials strategies that leverage tunable biomaterial properties to disrupt key metabolic, transcriptional, and signaling pathways central to Treg-mediated immunosuppression in cancer. In addition, we review key experimental methods used to assess Treg modulation in current preclinical studies and provide commentary on the remaining gaps in the field of biomaterials-mediated Treg modulation in cancer.</p>","PeriodicalId":65,"journal":{"name":"Biomaterials Science","volume":" ","pages":"4567-4593"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148589395","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"UV-assisted layer-by-layer fabrication of photocrosslinked silk fibroin complex tubular structures: towards a bioabsorbable endoluminal anastomosis coupler.","authors":"Mariana Rodrigues, Benedetta Isella, Bernhard Hruschka, Christian Uhl, Alexander Loewen, Stefan Jockenhoevel, Alexander Kopp","doi":"10.1039/d6bm00669h","DOIUrl":"10.1039/d6bm00669h","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Sutureless microvascular anastomosis requires dedicated mechanical connectors that reduce surgery time and tissue trauma. Clinically established mechanical couplers are widely used for venous anastomosis, but rely on vessel eversion, which limits their translation to arterial applications. Bioabsorbable endoluminal flared tubular structures may enable a faster and less traumatic alternative while supporting re-endothelialisation during degradation. Herein, a dedicated fabrication platform and material formulation are systematically investigated to enable controlled structure and mechanical performance. This study introduces a reproducible fabrication method based on a modular substrate design for silk fibroin flared tubular structures through UV-assisted dip-coating. A riboflavin/potassium persulfate photocrosslinking system was investigated as a layer stabilisation method during fabrication, comprising three formulations and two stabilisation times to assess process controllability. Catalyst concentration and stabilisation time enabled fine control over the stabilisation procedure. This resulted in tuneable structural integrity and mechanical performance, where optimised photocrosslinking conditions enabled an elastic modulus increase from 19.19 ± 1.23 MPa to 29.03 ± 3.34 MPa and burst pressures in the range of 1900-2300 mmHg. Furthermore, the layer-by-layer fabrication and crosslinking chemistry were found to significantly influence degradation behaviour, promoting a multi-surface enzymatic erosion mechanism that differs from conventional silk fibroin degradation behaviour. This highlights the potential to modulate both initial mechanical performance and its progression during degradation through control of layer stabilisation kinetics. The developed biopolymeric constructs demonstrated cytocompatibility and mechanical properties promising for vascular applications, supporting their potential for further development as intraluminal devices for arterial anastomosis.</p>","PeriodicalId":65,"journal":{"name":"Biomaterials Science","volume":" ","pages":"4594-4613"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148519603","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Live cells promote fibrillogenesis of biomimetic peptides through a heterogeneous secondary nucleation pathway.","authors":"Guo-Yang Xu, Qing-Shi Zhang, Zi-Wen Song, Zhuo-Yue Li, Jia-Jing Xing, Kuo Zhang, Lei Wang, Hao Wang","doi":"10.1039/d6bm00270f","DOIUrl":"10.1039/d6bm00270f","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Our previous studies demonstrated that the binding-induced fibrillogenesis (BIF) biomimetic peptide lauric acid-FFVLK-HSDVHK (LAFH) underwent fibrillation in solution in the presence of Ca²⁺ through a heterogeneous secondary nucleation process. Herein, the specific mechanism governing the BIF process at the cellular level was studied. LAFH can specifically target the αvβ3 integrin of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and form fibrous networks on the cell membrane. Cy5-labeled LAFH was incubated with HUVECs to study the fibrillogenesis kinetics of LAFH through its fluorescence signals. It was found that fluorescence of the cell membranes as well as fluorescence on a glass substrate, representing the LAFH nanofibers, could be used to study the BIF process. By fitting the time-dependent curves of fluorescence intensity on both cell surfaces and on glass substrates, it was determined that LAFH fibrillogenesis in the presence of HUVECs underwent heterogeneous secondary nucleation. We set up a fluorescence imaging assay and revealed a heterogeneous secondary nucleation mechanism for BIF of the biomimetic peptide LAFH at the cellular level, paving the way for precise regulation of BIF behavior <i>in vitro</i> and <i>in vivo</i>.</p>","PeriodicalId":65,"journal":{"name":"Biomaterials Science","volume":" ","pages":"4724-4732"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148628880","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dual-functionalized GelFuMA hydrogel with sequential crosslinking for tunable mechanics and controlled drug release.","authors":"Farouk Segujja, Gökhan Duruksu, Yusufhan Yazır, Ahmet Erdem","doi":"10.1039/d6bm00695g","DOIUrl":"10.1039/d6bm00695g","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Articular cartilage repair is constrained by the tissue's low regenerative capacity, prompting the development of biomaterials that can integrate mechanical support with bioactive cues to modulate stem cell behavior. We report a dual-functionalized gelatin-based hydrogel platform (GelFuMA), in which furan and methacryloyl functionalities are integrated within a single gelatin backbone to enable sequential network formation, mechanical reinforcement, and controlled delivery of bioactive cues. Dual-crosslinkable hydrogels were formed <i>via</i> aqueous Diels-Alder (DA) 'click' chemistry using a poly(ethylene glycol) bismaleimide crosslinker, followed by photoinitiated methacrylate polymerization. Varying the GelFuMA-to-crosslinker ratio yielded an energy-dissipative hybrid network with tunable mechanical properties, exhibiting a 4-fold increase in compressive modulus relative to single-network counterparts. Dexamethasone release followed diffusion-dominated Korsmeyer-Peppas kinetics (<i>n</i> ≤ 0.45) across all formulations. When seeded with Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells (WJ-MSCs), this hydrogel system supported increased expression of early chondrogenic markers, including significant upregulation of the cartilage-associated gene <i>COL2A1</i> (<i>P</i> < 0.001) in the absence of exogenous chondrogenic supplements. These findings establish GelFuMA as a tunable gelatin-based hydrogel platform that combines mechanical reinforcement and controlled drug release, highlighting its potential for regenerative biomaterial design.</p>","PeriodicalId":65,"journal":{"name":"Biomaterials Science","volume":" ","pages":"4349-4360"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148402897","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Fiber and continuum scale contributions to the intrinsic and apparent fracture of soft collagenous tissue <i>via</i> cutting.","authors":"Shaobo Zhan, Amy J Wagoner Johnson, Shelby B Hutchens","doi":"10.1039/d6bm00272b","DOIUrl":"10.1039/d6bm00272b","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Soft collagenous tissues inspire material design because of their excellent fracture properties. Their fracture is integral to surgical procedures and unavoidable in many forms of trauma and disease, yet measuring it remains challenging. Sample size limitations and emergent, strain-induced anisotropy increase boundary condition effects within classic test geometries, prohibiting cross-study comparison. Further, classic tests can neither sense internal heterogeneities nor disentangle their energetic contributions to the apparent fracture energy. Leveraging <i>in situ</i> microstructural observations from second harmonic generation imaging, we demonstrate that Y-shaped cutting addresses these limitations in bovine Glisson's capsule (bGC). We show cutting's sensitivity to tissue heterogeneity through characterization of bGC's sawtooth cutting force. We also report a boundary-condition-independent, intrinsic cutting energy for bGC in phosphate buffered solution (PBS). At 276 ± 17 J m^-2, it is surprisingly lower than expected. Contextualizing bGC response against commercial silicone, we show that its excellent failure behavior arises primarily from management of stress concentration near the crack tip over a characteristic microscale, rather than from an unusually high intrinsic fracture energy.</p>","PeriodicalId":65,"journal":{"name":"Biomaterials Science","volume":" ","pages":"4292-4304"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148358523","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Nucleoside-modified PVA hydrogel with antibacterial and wet-adhesion properties accelerates healing of diabetic oral ulcers.","authors":"Wenhui Liang, Yuting Chen, Pingping Han, Zihan Ding, Kaichao Wang, Wanxin Sun, Tingting Ding, Hongxia Dan, Jiang Liu","doi":"10.1039/d6bm00549g","DOIUrl":"10.1039/d6bm00549g","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Oral ulcers, particularly in diabetic patients, pose significant clinical challenges due to impaired healing conditions and high susceptibility to infection. Considering the highly dynamic, moist, and complex multi-bacterial environment of the oral cavity, there is an urgent need to develop a bioactive formulation with wet-adhesion and antibacterial properties to manage diabetic oral ulcers. Here, we developed a novel multifunctional hydrogel (polyvinyl alcohol-borate-cytidine-Ag⁺, PBCA) based on the i-motif structure of C-Ag⁺-C coordination, boronate ester bonds formed between PVA and cytidine, and glucocorticoid loading. The hydrogel exhibited excellent physicochemical properties, with an adhesion force of up to 46.6 ± 2.1 kPa. It can adhere to the oral mucosa of rats for over one hour and features continuous silver ion release and structural stability. In vitro studies confirmed its broad-spectrum antibacterial efficacy against both bacterial and fungal oral pathogens, alongside outstanding cytocompatibility with human oral keratinocytes and mouse fibroblasts. In vivo experiments using an oral ulcer model in diabetic rats demonstrated that PBCA hydrogel significantly accelerated mucosal healing, enhanced collagen deposition, promoted angiogenesis, and reduced local inflammation without inducing systemic organ toxicity or skin and oral mucosa irritation. These findings suggest that PBCA hydrogel provides a promising material-based strategy for the treatment of complex chronic oral ulcers under impaired healing conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":65,"journal":{"name":"Biomaterials Science","volume":" ","pages":"4361-4376"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148409841","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Nature-inspired biomaterial innovations to counter medical device-associated infections.","authors":"Zehui Han, Dacheng Ren","doi":"10.1039/d6bm00486e","DOIUrl":"10.1039/d6bm00486e","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Medical device-associated infections remain challenging in modern medicine because abiotic material surfaces are prone to bacterial colonization and biofilm formation, leading to high-level tolerance to antibiotics. The ineffectiveness of antibiotic therapy and the rapid rise of antimicrobial resistance have driven efforts to develop advanced material designs for medical devices. To meet biocompatibility and long-term performance needs, bio-inspired design has emerged as a promising strategy. From material composition and surface coating to surface texture, numerous designs have been engineered to reduce bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation. To overcome the limitation of static surface modification against established biofilms, dynamic surface designs have also been pursued in recent years. Here, we review current bio-inspired surface designs for biofilm control and highlight emerging dynamic, multifunctional strategies for the next generation of infection-resistant medical devices.</p>","PeriodicalId":65,"journal":{"name":"Biomaterials Science","volume":" ","pages":"4197-4209"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13358812/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148429439","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Nanostructured hyaluronic acid-chia mucilage film as bioactive wound dressings for accelerated skin regeneration.","authors":"Thiyaneshwar Ramamoorthy, Renugaa Suresh Babu, Subastri Ariram, Banamali Sahu, Vimalraj Selvaraj, Arockiarajan Arunachalakasi, Swathi Sudhakar","doi":"10.1039/d6bm00462h","DOIUrl":"10.1039/d6bm00462h","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Scar formation after skin injury remains a major clinical challenge because most conventional wound dressings promote closure rather than tissue regeneration, often resulting in fibrosis. Although several biomaterials, such as collagen, chitosan, alginate, gelatin, and zein, have been explored to improve healing outcomes, the attainment of truly scar-free regeneration remains a significant challenge. In this study, we developed a bioactive nanocomposite wound dressing by incorporating hyaluronic acid nanoparticles (HANs) into a natural mucilage matrix extracted from chia seeds. The HANs were synthesized <i>via</i> flash nanoprecipitation, resulting in a uniform particle size of 173 ± 1 nm. When embedded into the chia mucilage film <i>via</i> solvent casting, the resulting dressing exhibited tunable hydrophilicity and adequate mechanical integrity (tensile strength of 2.2 MPa). <i>In vitro</i> assessments demonstrated excellent cytocompatibility and the promotion of wound healing activities. Furthermore, chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assays revealed significantly enhanced angiogenesis in the bioactive films compared to controls, indicating superior regenerative potential. Crucially, <i>in vivo</i> studies using a full-thickness rat wound model evidenced accelerated re-epithelialization and tissue regeneration within 17 days. Collectively, this naturally derived, nanoengineered platform offers a cost-effective and biologically active strategy for promoting skin regeneration.</p>","PeriodicalId":65,"journal":{"name":"Biomaterials Science","volume":" ","pages":"4259-4274"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148358602","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}