Natural polyphenol-taurine-based nanoparticles for oral ulcer therapy

Oral ulcers are the most common disease of the oral mucosa, and the pathogenesis is caused by a local overload of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that precipitates tissue breakdown, which, in turn, leads to the formation of ulcers. Here, we report a one-step oxidative copolymerization strategy to synthesize pH/ROS dual-responsive protocatechualdehyde taurine nanoparticles (PAT NPs) by cross-linking protocatechualdehyde and taurine (Tau). These PAT NPs combine excellent biocompatibility and multiple functions, such as efficient scavenging of free radicals, neutralization of lipopolysaccharide, protection of mitochondria, inhibition of M1 macrophage polarization, promotion of M2 polarization, promotion of anti-inflammatory activity and promotion of cell migration and angiogenesis. The animal ulcer model demonstrated that the PAT NPs can simultaneously inhibit inflammation, promote vascularization, and significantly shorten ulcer healing time, providing a new paradigm for the translation of natural polyphenol-taurine nanomaterials in the field of oral mucosal repair.