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Updated: Aug 9, 2026
Mechanical Stimulation of Chondrocyte-agarose Hydrogels
Published on: October 27, 2012
Matching TGF-β1 Activation With Stress-Responsive Charge-Reversal Hydrogel Microspheres for the Treatment of
Feng Lin1, Yiwen Xu1, Lei Xiang2
1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Key Laboratory of Motor System Disease Research and Precision Therapy of Zhejiang Province The Second Affiliated Hospital Zhejiang University School of Medicine Orthopedics Research Institute of Zhejiang University Clinical Research Center of Motor System Disease of Zhejiang Province Hangzhou P. R. China.
Abstract:
The abnormal activation of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) is closely associated with the occurrence and progression of diseases. However, how to make the regulatory means match the pathological mechanical microenvironment-dependent activation of TGF-β1 to promote lesion repair still faces challenges. In this study, based on force-charge conversion technology, we developed the stress-responsive charge-reversal hydrogel microsphere system. Weakly cross-linked disulfide bonds in the microfluidic-synthesized microspheres break under mechanical stress, interacting with charge-reversal messenger to induce nanoparticle charge reversal (negative to positive). This mode is in line with the activation mechanism of TGF-β1 in the mechanical microenvironment, which can match the appropriate regulatory intensity and thus achieve high efficiency and low toxicity in OA treatment. Experimental results show that this hydrogel microsphere system has a 41.96% improvement in the repair effect of OA cartilage lesions compared to traditional microspheres, and more importantly, the impact on healthy cartilage is reduced by 96.89%. This study provides a new idea for the development of biomaterial regulatory systems that match the pathological microenvironment.
