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Graphene has been studied for its in vitro osteoinductive capacity. However, the in vivo bone repair effects of graphene-based scaffolds remain unknown. The aqueous soluble graphene oxide-copper nanocomposites (GO-Cu) are fabricated, which are used to coat porous calcium phosphate (CaP) scaffolds for vascularized bone regeneration. The GO-Cu nanocomposites, containing crystallized CuO/Cu2 O nanoparticles of ≈30 nm diameters, distribute uniformly on the surfaces of the porous scaffolds and maintain a long-term release of Cu ions. In vitro, the GO-Cu coating enhances the adhesion and osteogenic differentiation of rat bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs). It is also found that by activating the Erk1/2 signaling pathway, the GO-Cu nanocomposites upregulate the expression of Hif-1α in BMSCs, resulting in the secretion of VEGF and BMP-2 proteins. When transplanted into rat with critical-sized calvarial defects, the GO-Cu-coated calcium phosphate cement (CPC) scaffolds (CPC/GO-Cu) significantly promote angiogenesis and osteogenesis. Moreover, it is observed via histological sections that the GO-Cu nanocomposites are phagocytosed by multinucleated giant cells. The results suggest that GO-Cu nanocomposite coatings can be utilized as an attractive strategy for vascularized bone regeneration.

Rapid osseointegration of dental implants will shorten the period of treatment and enhance the comfort of patients. Due to the vital role of angiogenesis played during bone development and regeneration, it might be feasible to promote rapid osseointegration by modifying the implant surface to gain a combined angiogenesis/osteogenesis inducing capacity. In this study, a novel coating (MAO-Sr) with strontium-incorporated nanoporous structures on titanium implants was generated via a new micro-arc oxidation, in an attempt to induce angiogenesis and osteogenesis to enhance rapid osseointegration. In vitro, the nanoporous structure significantly enhanced the initial adhesion of canine BMSCs. More importantly, sustained release of strontium ions also displayed a stronger effect on the BMSCs in facilitating their osteogenic differentiation and promoting the angiogenic growth factor secretion to recruit endothelial cells and promote blood vessel formation. Advanced mechanism analyses indicated that MAPK/Erk and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways were involved in these effects of the MAO-Sr coating. Finally, in the canine dental implantation study, the MAO-Sr coating induced faster bone formation within the initial six weeks and the osseointegration effect was comparable to that of the commercially available ITI implants. These results suggest that the MAO-Sr coating has the potential for future use in dental implants.

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Fe3O4 nanoparticles were prepared by a co-precipitation method with the assistance of ultrasound irradiation, and then coated with silica generated by hydrolysis and condensation of tetraethoxysilane. The silica-coated Fe3O4 nanoparticles were further modified with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane, resulting in anchoring of primary amine groups on the surface of the particles. Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was then immobilized on the magnetic core-shell particles by using glutaraldehyde as a crosslinking agent. Immobilization conditions were optimized to obtain the highest relative activity of the immobilized enzyme. It was found the durability of the immobilized enzyme to heating and pH variation were improved in comparison with free HRP. The apparent Michaelis constants of the immobilized HRP and free HRP with substrate were compared, showing that the enzyme activity of the immobilized HRP was close to that of free HRP. The HRP immobilized particles, as an enzyme catalyst, were used to activate H2O2 for degrading 2,4-dichlorophenol. The rapid degradation of 2,4-dichlorophenol indicated that the immobilized enzyme has potential applications for removing organic pollutants.

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