2. Academic Validation
  3. Promoting implant osseointegration via the osteoblast-selective β-amino acid polymer strategy

Promoting implant osseointegration via the osteoblast-selective β-amino acid polymer strategy

  • Nat Commun. 2025 Aug 5;16(1):7190. doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-58394-1.
Qi Chen 1,  Jiawei Gu 2,  Haodong Zhang 2,  Donghui Zhang 1 3,  Yuwen Wang 2,  Guojian Liu 2,  Xiang Zhu 2,  Xinyue Zhang 2,  Chuntao Cao 2,  Yuan Yuan 2,  Runhui Liu 4 5 6
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China.
  • 2 Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, Frontiers Science Center for Materiobiology and Dynamic Chemistry, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, Engineering Research Center for Biomedical Materials of Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China.
  • 3 School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China.
  • 4 State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China. rliu@ecust.edu.cn.
  • 5 Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, Frontiers Science Center for Materiobiology and Dynamic Chemistry, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, Engineering Research Center for Biomedical Materials of Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China. rliu@ecust.edu.cn.
  • 6 Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, 215163, China. rliu@ecust.edu.cn.
PMID: 40764473 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-58394-1
Abstract

Osseointegration for implants, especially bioinert implants, poses significant clinical challenges. Overcoming fibrotic encapsulation and promoting osseointegration at the implant interface are critical for successful bone repair, which highly expected biomaterials with osteoblast over fibroblast selectivity. However, few Materials possess the function. β-amino acid Polymers have demonstrated cell adhesion property, easy preparation, and robust stability to resist proteolysis as emerging biomaterials. Here, we develop amphiphilic β-amino acid Polymers that demonstrate exceptional osteoblast vs fibroblast selectivity, outperforming the natural osteoblast-selective KRSR peptide. The optimal polymer selectively supports osteoblast adhesion by manipulating the adsorption of serum proteins and the presentation of RGD motifs on polymer-modified surfaces. In vivo study using polymer-modified titanium-implants in female rat maxillary bone reveals that the optimal polymer substantially promotes osseointegration of titanium-implants compared to uncoated titanium-implants, which tend to develop fibrous encapsulation. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of our strategy in designing osteoblast-selective biomaterials and implies the promising application of β-amino acid polymer as emerging osteoblast-selective biomaterials to promote osseointegration.

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