PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Innovative nanocomposite hydrogel shows promise for cartilage regeneration in osteoarthritis treatment

2025-07-03
(Press-News.org) A research team from Northwest University, China, has developed a breakthrough nano-composite hydrogel system to address the dual challenges of inflammation and cartilage damage in osteoarthritis (OA), a leading cause of joint disability worldwide. Published in Engineering, the study confirms that the dual-drug-loaded hydrogel promotes cartilage repair through synergistic immune regulation and chondrocyte differentiation, offering a novel therapeutic strategy for OA.

OA is characterized by persistent inflammation and impaired cartilage regeneration, with existing treatments failing to effectively target both mechanisms. The newly developed HLC(Dex)–SPNs–KGN hydrogel combines two natural proteins—human-like collagen (HLC) and silk protein nanoparticles (SPNs)—to deliver two key molecules: dexamethasone (Dex), an anti-inflammatory glucocorticoid, which suppresses early inflammation and polarizes pro-inflammatory M1 macrophages into anti-inflammatory M2 macrophages; and kartogenin (KGN), which induces human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) to differentiate into chondrocytes and maintains chondrocyte stability in later stages.

The hydrogel design enables spatiotemporal control of drug release: Dex is rapidly released early to combat inflammation, while KGN is sustained for weeks to promote cartilage regeneration. This dual mechanism creates a microenvironment conducive to tissue repair, mimicking natural cartilage healing stages. The hydrogel’s porous structure (10–30 μm pore size) supports cell adhesion and nutrient supply, with a gelation efficiency of 95%. Release profiles show an early burst of Dex (80% released within 40 days) and sustained release of KGN (40% released within 40 days).

Inflammatory RAW264.7 macrophages treated with the hydrogel showed a 75% reduction in pro-inflammatory TNF-α and a 6-fold increase in anti-inflammatory IL-10 compared to controls. hMSCs co-cultured with the hydrogel exhibited significantly higher expression of cartilage-specific proteins (COMP, Col II, aggrecan, and SOX-9) and genes, with RUNX1, a key regulator of chondrocyte survival, showing the highest expression.

In rabbit knee defect models, the hydrogel completely filled defects with new cartilage tissue, featuring a smooth surface and good integration with surrounding tissue (ICRS grade II), whereas controls showed predominantly fibrous tissue (grade III). Micro-CT and histological analyses revealed significantly improved bone mineral density (BMD) and bone volume/total volume ratio (BV/TV) in the hydrogel group, along with reduced levels of inflammatory factors (TNF-α, IL-6, and ADAMTS5).

The authors note that combining immune regulation with controlled cartilage induction via a biocompatible hydrogel overcomes limitations of traditional OA treatments. The dual-drug delivery system not only alleviates inflammation but also actively promotes cartilage regeneration, offering a holistic solution for joint repair. The use of natural proteins like collagen and silk ensures biodegradability and safety, while the nano-composite structure allows precise modulation of drug release. This platform may be adapted for other degenerative diseases requiring spatiotemporal therapeutic control.

The team plans to optimize hydrogel purification processes for clinical translation and study long-term safety in larger animal models. Additionally, they are exploring the system’s applicability to other musculoskeletal injuries, such as tendon or bone defects.

This research highlights the potential of biomaterial-based therapies to revolutionize OA treatment, offering hope to millions affected by this disabling disease. By addressing both inflammation and tissue damage simultaneously.

The paper “Dual Protein-Based Nanocomposite Hydrogel Scaffolds Synergistically Promote Cartilage Regeneration Through Chondrocyte Differentiation and Immunomodulation,” authored by Huan Lei, Daidi Fan. Full text of the open access paper: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eng.2025.05.010. For more information about Engineering, visit the website at https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/engineering.

END


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

2025 Guangci Laboratory Medicine Innovation and Development Conference

2025-07-03
The 2025 Guangci Laboratory Medicine Innovation and Development Conference was successfully concluded at Shanghai Qingsongcheng Hotel during June 5-8, 2025! With the theme of "Innovation, Guidance, and Development", this conference successfully brought together nearly 100 well-known experts and scholars at home and abroad, and carried out in-depth dialogues and collisions of ideas around the cutting-edge hotspots in the field of clinical and laboratory medicine. Through diversified academic exchanges, the conference has built a high-level technology sharing and achievement display platform for laboratory medicine ...

LabMed Discovery is included in the ICI World Journals database

2025-07-03
In May 2025, under the review of the Polish ICI World of Journals (Copernicus Index Database), LabMed Discovery magazine was officially included in the ICI World of Journals database. This marks an important step for LabMed Discovery on the international academic stage, and is also a high recognition of the journal's long-term efforts in improving academic quality and promoting academic exchanges.   ICI World of Journals is the world's third largest scientific journal database, which includes and evaluates 45,000 journals from more than 150 countries and regions. The database adopts strict review standards and conducts multi-dimensional ...

LabMed Discovery is included in the China Open Access Journal (COAJ) database

2025-07-03
After rigorous evaluation and review, LabMed Discovery was officially included in China Open Access Journal Database (COAJ) in May 2025. This progress marks that LabMed Discovery has been officially recognized in terms of academic quality, publishing standards and open access. It is also another achievement of LabMed Discovery following being selected into the ICI international database this month. This proves the improvement of LabMed Discovery's academic communication and influence, and is of great significance in furthering the speed, breadth and visibility of the journal's international dissemination. We ...

Vaccination support program reduces pneumonia-related mortality by 25 percent among the elderly

2025-07-03
A research team has evaluated the real-world impact of a community-based pneumococcal vaccination support program for older adults conducted in Sera Town, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. Their work is published in the Journal of Epidemiology on May 5, 2025. Pneumonia is one of the leading causes of death in Japan. Each year about 74,000 people die from pneumonia with 98 percent of these deaths occurring in people aged 65 and older. The bacteria Streptococcus pneumoniae is the primary cause of pneumonia. In October 2014, Japan began a nationwide routine vaccination program for the elderly under ...

Over decades, a healthy lifestyle outperforms metformin in preventing onset of Type 2 diabetes

2025-07-02
In the early 2000s the U.S. Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), a large randomized clinical trial, showed that intensive lifestyle modification was better than a medication called metformin at preventing at-risk patients from developing Type 2 diabetes. In a newly completed follow-up study, a team of researchers including Vallabh “Raj” Shah, professor emeritus in The University of New Mexico Departments of Internal Medicine and Biochemistry & Molecular Biology at the School of Medicine, found that the health benefits from the lifestyle intervention persisted more than 20 years later.Molecular Biology at the School of Medicine In a paper published in The ...

Mental health disorders, malaria, and heart disease most affected by covid pandemic

2025-07-02
Disrupted care during the covid-19 pandemic led to sharp increases in other non-covid causes of illness and death, particularly mental health disorders, malaria in young children, and stroke and heart disease in older adults, finds a study published by The BMJ today. For example, new cases of depressive disorders rose by 23% in 5-14 year-olds and malaria deaths rose by 14% in children under five years old from 2020-2021. The researchers say future responses to potential pandemics or other public health emergencies of international concern “must extend beyond infection control ...

Green transition will boost UK productivity

2025-07-02
The green transition will boost productivity across the UK economy, new research suggests. Researchers analysed the impacts of the low-carbon transition in power, transport and heating. With renewable energy now cheaper than fossil fuels in most of the world – and still getting cheaper – the findings show these three industries benefit directly from the transition. But the far larger knock-on effect is an economy-wide productivity boost, as all businesses gain from cheaper power, transport and heating. The research team – led by the universities of Exeter and Manchester – warn that this boost depends on cheaper ...

Billions voted in 2024, but major new report exposes cracks in global democracy

2025-07-02
A new report from the University of East Anglia has raised concerns about the state of democracy around the world during 2024’s ‘Super Cycle’ of elections. Described by Time Magazine as the ‘Year of Elections’, 2024 saw 1.6 billion people head to the polls across 74 national elections in 62 countries - an unprecedented concentration of democratic activity in a single year. But a global report from the Electoral Integrity Project, released today, paints a mixed and often troubling picture of how those ...

Researchers find “forever chemicals” impact the developing male brain

2025-07-02
“Forever chemicals” or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been widely used in consumer and industrial products for the better part of a century, but do not break down in the natural environment. One PFAS, perfluorohexanoic acid or PFHxA, is made up of a shorter chain of molecules and is thought to have less of an impact on human health. New research from the Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience at the University of Rochester suggests otherwise, finding that early life exposure to PFHxA may increase anxiety-related behaviors and memory deficits in male ...

Quantum leap in precision sensing across technologies

2025-07-02
Quantum sensing:  Researchers at the Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, have developed a tunable system that paves the way for more accurate sensing in a variety of technologies, including biomedical diagnostics. The potential range of technologies is large, stretching from the largest scales – detecting gravitational waves in space over environmental monitoring to the tiny fluctuations in our own bodies – biomedical sensing for imaging and diagnostics in e.g. magnetic scanners. The result is now published in Nature. Quantum limit – this is where it gets really tricky Optical sensing ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Researchers generate lung cells from mouse fibroblasts in just 7 to 10 days

Prizewinner’s research reveals how immune responses to friendly skin microbiota could pave way for novel vaccination responses

Old aerial photos give scientists a new tool to predict sea level rise

20 million for courageous research at ISTA

Ships trigger high and unexpected emissions of the greenhouse gas methane

Optimizing laser irradiation: An in-silico meta-analysis of skin discoloration treatment

Climate crisis could force wild vanilla plants and pollinating insects apart, threatening global supply

Teens report spending 21% of each driving trip looking at their phone

Study explores the ‘social norms’ of distracted driving among teens

Diver-operated microscope brings hidden coral biology into focus

Enhancing the “feel-good” factor of urban vegetation using AI and street view images

A single genetic mutation may have made humans more vulnerable to cancer than chimpanzees

Innovative nanocomposite hydrogel shows promise for cartilage regeneration in osteoarthritis treatment

2025 Guangci Laboratory Medicine Innovation and Development Conference

LabMed Discovery is included in the ICI World Journals database

LabMed Discovery is included in the China Open Access Journal (COAJ) database

Vaccination support program reduces pneumonia-related mortality by 25 percent among the elderly

Over decades, a healthy lifestyle outperforms metformin in preventing onset of Type 2 diabetes

Mental health disorders, malaria, and heart disease most affected by covid pandemic

Green transition will boost UK productivity

Billions voted in 2024, but major new report exposes cracks in global democracy

Researchers find “forever chemicals” impact the developing male brain

Quantum leap in precision sensing across technologies

Upgrading biocrude oil into sustainable aviation fuel using zeolite-supported iron-molybdenum carbide nanocatalysts

For effective science communication, ‘just the facts’ isn’t good enough

RT-EZ: A golden gate assembly toolkit for streamlined genetic engineering of rhodotorula toruloides

Stem Cell Reports announces five new early career editors

Support networks may be the missing link for college students who seek help for excessive drinking

The New England Journal of Medicine shines spotlight on forensic pathology

Scientists discover protein that helps lung cancer spread to the brain

[Press-News.org] Innovative nanocomposite hydrogel shows promise for cartilage regeneration in osteoarthritis treatment