Inflammatory environment-adaptive patterned surface for spatiotemporal immunomodulation of macrophages

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Immunology
• Tissue Engineering

Background:

• Precise immunomodulation of biomaterials is crucial for understanding macrophage-tissue interactions and optimizing healing.
• Current stimuli-responsive biomaterials often require manual external triggers, leading to potential errors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an inflammation-adaptive biomaterial surface for spatiotemporal immunomodulation of macrophages.
• To create a dynamic surface that responds to the inflammatory microenvironment for tailored macrophage polarization.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a methacrylated hyaluronic acid (MA-HA) hydrogel with a thiol-functionalized Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD)-patterned surface using photolithography.
• Incorporation of ROS-cleavable linkers to create a temporary homogeneous RGD surface that transforms into a patterned surface upon exposure to reactive oxygen species (ROS).

Main Results:

• The dynamic surface successfully transformed from homogeneous to patterned RGD in response to ROS produced by inflammation-activated macrophages.
• This transformation induced macrophage elongation and promoted a shift towards an anti-inflammatory phenotype, evidenced by upregulated arginase-1, IL-10, and TNF-β1.
• The biomaterial demonstrated adaptive immunomodulation without external manual intervention, balancing pro- and anti-inflammatory macrophage phenotypes.

Conclusions:

• The developed inflammation-adaptive RGD-patterned surface offers a precise and smart strategy for spatiotemporal macrophage modulation.
• This approach facilitates healing-matched immunomodulation, improving tissue repair outcomes.
• The biomaterial's ability to dynamically adapt to the microenvironment enhances its potential for regenerative medicine applications.