Mussel-inspired antimicrobial hydrogel with cellulose nanocrystals/tannic acid modified silver nanoparticles for enhanced calvarial bone regeneration

Xingchen Li; Yuxuan Pang; Lin Guan; Lei Li; Yanlin Zhu; Andrew K Whittaker; Bai Yang; Song Zhu; Quan Lin

doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.132419

Mussel-inspired antimicrobial hydrogel with cellulose nanocrystals/tannic acid modified silver nanoparticles for enhanced calvarial bone regeneration

Int J Biol Macromol. 2024 May 15;270(Pt 2):132419. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.132419. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Xingchen Li¹, Yuxuan Pang², Lin Guan¹, Lei Li¹, Yanlin Zhu³, Andrew K Whittaker⁴, Bai Yang¹, Song Zhu⁵, Quan Lin⁶

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Material, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China.
² Department of Prosthodontics, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
³ Department of Oral Implantology, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
⁴ Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology. The University of Queensland Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia. Electronic address: a.whittaker@uq.edu.au.
⁵ Department of Prosthodontics, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Jilin University, Changchun, China. Electronic address: zhusong1965@163.com.
⁶ State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Material, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China. Electronic address: linquan@jlu.edu.cn.

PMID: 38759859
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.132419

Abstract

Bacterial infection is a serious challenge in the treatment of open bone defects, and reliance on antibiotic therapy may contribute to the emergence of drug-resistant bacteria. To solve this problem, this study developed a mineralized hydrogel (PVA-Ag-PHA) with excellent antibacterial properties and osteogenic capabilities. Silver nanoparticles (CNC/TA@AgNPs) were greenly synthesized using natural macromolecular cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) and plant polyphenolic tannins (TA) as stabilizers and reducing agents respectively, and then introduced into polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polydopamine-modified hydroxyapatite (PDA@HAP) hydrogel. The experimental results indicate that the PVA-Ag-PHA hydrogel, benefiting from the excellent antibacterial properties of CNC/TA@AgNPs, can not only eliminate Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, but also maintain a sustained sterile environment. At the same time, the HAP modified by PDA is uniformly dispersed within the hydrogel, thus releasing and maintaining stable concentrations of Ca²⁺ and PO₄^3- ions in the local environment. The porous structure of the hydrogel with excellent biocompatibility creates a suitable bioactive environment that facilitates cell adhesion and bone regeneration. The experimental results in the rat critical-sized calvarial defect model indicate that the PVA-Ag-PHA hydrogel can effectively accelerate the bone healing process. Thus, this mussel-inspired hydrogel with antibacterial properties provides a feasible solution for the repair of open bone defects, demonstrating the considerable potential for diverse applications in bone repair.

Keywords: Antimicrobial; Bone regeneration; Hydrogel; Hydroxyapatite; Nanoparticles.