Self-promoted electroactive biomimetic mineralized scaffolds for bacteria-infected bone regeneration

Infected bone defects pose a significant challenge in orthopedic treatment. This study introduces a self-promoted electroactive mineralized scaffold (sp-EMS) that generates weak currents to enhance bone regeneration and inhibit bacterial activity. The sp-EMS activates voltage-gated Ca²⁺ channels, promotes actin remodeling, and induces osteogenic differentiation via the BMP2/Smad5 pathway. It also inhibits bacterial adhesion and activity through electrochemical products and ROS. In vivo studies in rats, rabbits, and dogs demonstrate the sp-EMS's effectiveness in achieving complete or near-complete bone healing in infected defects, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic platform for complex bone repair.

Zixin Li, Danqing He, Bowen Guo, Zekun Wang, Huajie Yu, Yu Wang, Shanshan Jin, Min Yu, Lisha Zhu, Liyuan Chen, Chengye Ding, Xiaolan Wu, Tianhao Wu, Shiqiang Gong, Jing Mao, Yanheng Zhou, Dan Luo, Yan Liu