Engineered Poly (amino acid) Hydrogel Synchronizes Sequential Infection Elimination and Osteogenic Activation for
Yutao Cui1, Yuhang Tian1, Minghan Dou1
1Orthopedic Medical Center, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China.
Theranostics
|January 9, 2026
Summary
This study developed a dual-functional hydrogel for treating infected bone defects. The engineered material sequentially releases antibiotics for infection control and promotes bone growth, offering a single-stage treatment solution.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Orthopedic Surgery
- Regenerative Medicine
Background:
- Infected bone defects pose significant orthopedic challenges, typically requiring staged infection control and bone reconstruction.
- Developing single-stage treatments with sequential functionalities is crucial for improving clinical outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To engineer a dual-functional hydrogel with sequential antibacterial and osteogenic properties for treating infected bone defects.
- To evaluate the hydrogel's efficacy in vitro and in vivo for infection control and bone regeneration.
Main Methods:
- Constructed a hydrogel using poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(L-alanine N-carboxyanhydride-co-L-phenylalanine N-carboxyanhydride) via ring-opening polymerization.
- Grafted bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) peptide and loaded vancomycin for osteogenic and antibacterial functions, respectively.
- Conducted in vitro characterization, biocompatibility, antibacterial, and osteogenic assays, followed by in vivo assessment in a rabbit radius infection model.
Main Results:
- The engineered hydrogel exhibited suitable physicochemical properties and sustained antibiotic release, effectively inhibiting Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria in vitro.
- Demonstrated good cytocompatibility and promoted osteogenic differentiation of stem cells.
- In vivo studies showed accelerated infected bone defect repair, achieving both infection control and bone reconstruction in rabbits.
Conclusions:
- A novel dual-functional hydrogel offers a time-efficient, single-stage strategy for treating infected bone defects.
- The sequential antibacterial and osteogenic properties provide a promising approach for improving orthopedic clinical treatments.
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