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Published on: December 18, 2017
A pH-Switchable Cerium Single-Atom Enzyme for Peri-Implantitis Therapy via JAK-STAT Signaling Axis-Mediated
Xiaomin Xia1,2, Haojie Wu3, Xingyun Li3
1Department of Stomatology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China.
Advanced Science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany)
|August 12, 2026
Summary
A novel cerium single-atom enzyme (Ce-BNC) mimics natural enzymes, offering pH-switchable activity for peri-implantitis treatment. It dynamically shifts between antibacterial and anti-inflammatory actions for improved therapeutic outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Catalysis
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Peri-implantitis (PI) presents a significant clinical challenge requiring advanced therapeutic strategies.
- Current treatments for PI often lack efficacy and can cause collateral damage.
- Developing adaptive catalysts that mimic enzymatic functions is crucial for targeted PI therapy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a high-performance, environmentally adaptive enzyme-mimicking catalyst for peri-implantitis (PI) treatment.
- To investigate the pH-switchable catalytic properties of a cerium single-atom enzyme (Ce-BNC).
- To explore the therapeutic potential of Ce-BNC in modulating the inflammatory microenvironment.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of a cerium single atom on B, N co-doped carbon nanotubes enzyme (Ce-BNC).
- Evaluation of Ce-BNC's pH-dependent peroxidase (POD)-like and superoxide dismutase/catalase (SOD/CAT)-like activities.
- Assessment of Ce-BNC's antibacterial effects via reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation.
- Analysis of Ce-BNC's anti-inflammatory effects by disrupting macrophage signaling pathways.
Main Results:
- Ce-BNC demonstrated intrinsic pH-switchable catalytic activity, favoring ROS-mediated antibacterial effects in acidic conditions and ROS scavenging in neutral conditions.
- The catalyst facilitated a dynamic transition between oxidative antimicrobial action and antioxidative microenvironment modulation.
- Ce-BNC effectively disrupted the M1 macrophage/IL-6-JAK/STAT signaling axis, leading to inflammation remodeling.
- The catalytic mechanism was governed by reduced Gibbs free-energy barriers, enabling efficient ROS conversion.
Conclusions:
- Ce-BNC serves as a microenvironment-adaptive catalytic platform with programmable bimodal activities.
- This pH-switchable enzymatic relay offers a promising strategy for the intelligent and staged treatment of inflammatory diseases like peri-implantitis.
- The study highlights the potential of single-atom catalysts in developing next-generation therapeutics for inflammatory conditions.
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