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Intelligence-responsive wettability switch coating on magnesium implants for treating osteoporotic fracture
Guobin Qi1, Tianle Ma2, Yugang Wang3
1Department of Orthopedics, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China.
Nature Communications
|May 2, 2026
Summary
This study developed a novel hydrogel coating for magnesium implants to improve fracture healing in osteoporosis. The coating protects implants and enhances bone repair by reducing oxidative stress and promoting bone formation.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Orthopedic Research
- Regenerative Medicine
Background:
- Osteoporotic fracture healing is impaired by oxidative stress and poor bone homeostasis.
- Biodegradable magnesium alloys show promise for orthopedic implants but degrade rapidly in the osteoporotic microenvironment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a reactive oxygen species (ROS)-responsive hydrogel coating for magnesium implants.
- To evaluate the coating's efficacy in protecting magnesium implants and enhancing osteoporotic fracture healing.
Main Methods:
- A metal-phenolic network was used to create a tannic acid and gelatin methacryloyl hydrogel coating on magnesium implants.
- The coating's degradation inhibition, ROS scavenging, and effects on bone healing were assessed in vitro and in osteoporotic rat models.
- Single-cell transcriptomics was employed to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms.
Main Results:
- The hydrogel coating significantly reduced magnesium degradation and scavenged ROS.
- Coated implants in osteoporotic rats demonstrated reduced oxidative stress and improved bone healing.
- Single-cell transcriptomics revealed activation of the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) pathway, promoting osteogenesis and inhibiting osteoclastogenesis.
Conclusions:
- The multifunctional hydrogel coating offers corrosion protection for magnesium implants.
- This coating represents a targeted therapeutic strategy to enhance osteoporotic fracture healing by modulating the cellular response to oxidative stress.
