Oxygen-releasing biomaterials for bone tissue regeneration.

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Regenerative Medicine
• Tissue Engineering

Background:

• Bone defects often fail to heal due to poor vascularization and hypoxia, hindering osteogenesis.
• Pathological hypoxia is a critical barrier in bone regeneration and tissue engineering.
• Oxygen-releasing biomaterials (ORBs) offer a promising solution to create an oxygen-rich, pro-osteogenic environment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive analysis of current oxygen-releasing biomaterials (ORBs) for bone regeneration.
• To systematically categorize ORB platforms and evaluate their mechanisms, features, and kinetics.
• To discuss clinical challenges and future directions for ORB development in bone tissue engineering.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review and categorization of ORBs.
• Analysis of chemical oxygen-generating, physical oxygen-carrying, bioenzyme-catalyzed, nanozyme-based, and photosynthesis-based strategies.
• Evaluation of underlying mechanisms, material properties, and oxygen release kinetics.

Main Results:

• ORBs can effectively counteract hypoxia in bone defects, supporting cell survival and osteogenic differentiation.
• Diverse ORB strategies exist, including chemical, physical, enzymatic, nanoenzymatic, and photosynthetic approaches.
• Each ORB strategy exhibits unique mechanisms, material characteristics, and oxygen release profiles.

Conclusions:

• ORBs represent a transformative approach to bone regeneration by addressing critical hypoxic microenvironments.
• Further research and development are needed to overcome clinical challenges and advance ORB translation.
• Future directions focus on biology-driven, next-generation biomaterials for enhanced bone healing.