Photothermal-driven multifunctional injectable hydrogel platform for promoting diabetic bone defect repair through...

Excessive inflammation and exacerbated oxidative stress are significant hallmarks of the diabetic bone microenvironment, which give rise to dysregulated immune reactions and impaired bone homeostasis, thereby hindering bone defect healing and increasing the incidence of bone nonunion.

A biodegradable photothermal hybrid (SC/MTZ) was developed through the in situ self-assembly of zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) nanoparticles on tannic acid (TA)-functionalized Ti₃C₂T_x MXene nanosheets, which were then integrated into a methacrylated silk fibroin/carboxymethyl chitosan methacryloyl matrix. The integration of in situ photopolymerization and chelation coordination for double crosslinking, along with the incorporation of heterojunction MXene@TA/ZIF-8 (MTZ) nanosheets, enhances the physicochemical properties and biological activity of the hydrogels, providing optimal mechanical support and prolonged retention at the defect site.

The hydrogel platform demonstrated outstanding antibacterial properties and effectively reprogrammed macrophages from the proinflammatory M1 phenotype to the anti-inflammatory M2 phenotype. This was achieved through the combined effects of localized mild hyperthermia and stimuli-responsive release of bioactive agents (TA and Zn²⁺), which also enhanced mitochondrial function and inhibited RANKL-induced osteoclast formation and bone resorption. In situ injection of the photoactivated SC/MTZ hydrogel markedly accelerated cranial defect healing in diabetic rats by synergistically enhancing immune homeostasis, osteogenesis, and angiogenesis while suppressing osteoclast activity.

In summary, this study proposes an innovative method for developing multifunctional photothermal nanosheet-encapsulated hybrid hydrogels aimed at effectively managing diabetic bone defects.