Engineered Curcumin/Strontium Nanoparticles Grafted with K6-CAMEL0 Peptide for the Multifaceted Treatment of Bone
Zeyu Shou1,2, Dong Yang3, Yewen Liu4
1Department of Orthopedics, Zhuji People's Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Zhuji Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Shaoxing, Zhejiang, 311800, China.
Advanced Healthcare Materials
|September 18, 2025
Summary
A new nanoparticle effectively treats bone infections by killing bacteria, reducing inflammation, and promoting bone healing. This single-dose treatment offers a promising strategy for complex bone diseases.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Bone infections present complex clinical challenges including bacterial colonization, inflammation, oxidative stress, and impaired bone regeneration.
- Current therapies often struggle to address these multifaceted issues simultaneously, necessitating innovative treatment strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To engineer a multifunctional nanoparticle (Cur/Sr@CAMEL0 NPs) capable of addressing bacterial infection, inflammation, oxidative stress, and bone resorption in infected bone therapy.
- To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of Cur/Sr@CAMEL0 NPs in vitro and in an in vivo infected bone defect model.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of Cur/Sr@CAMEL0 NPs by integrating a curcumin-strontium metal-phenolic network core with a lysine-conjugated antimicrobial peptide.
- Characterization of nanoparticle morphology, structure, and cellular compatibility.
- In vitro assessment of antibacterial activity, anti-inflammatory effects, reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging, and pro-angiogenic properties.
- In vivo evaluation in a Staphylococcus aureus infected bone defect animal model to assess bacterial eradication and bone regeneration.
Main Results:
- The Cur/Sr@CAMEL0 NPs exhibited unique morphological and structural features with good cellular compatibility.
- The nanoparticles demonstrated broad-spectrum antibacterial activity, potent anti-inflammatory and ROS scavenging capabilities, and pro-angiogenic effects.
- Significant promotion of necrotic bone resorption and normal bone regeneration was observed.
- Single-dose administration of Cur/Sr@CAMEL0 NPs effectively eradicated Staphylococcus aureus colonization and facilitated bone regeneration in an animal model.
Conclusions:
- Cur/Sr@CAMEL0 NPs represent a promising multifunctional platform for managing bone infections.
- The engineered nanoparticle effectively addresses multiple pathological aspects of infected bone diseases, including bacterial burden and impaired healing.
- This study highlights a novel therapeutic strategy for complex bone infections and regeneration.
