Hydrogels with anti-inflammatory modulation microniches for tendon repair
Chemical Engineering Journal, 2025
Zhou T., Ma T., Wang Q., Wang Z., Huang J., Zhong L., Zhou D., Jin Z., Niu Y., Yin D., Hu T., Bian Y., He L., Zhou H.
| Disease area | Application area | Sample type | Products |
|---|---|---|---|
Technical Studies | Technical Evaluation | Cell Culture Supernatant |  Olink Target 96 Mouse |
Abstract
Effective tendon restoration poses a significant challenge due to complex biological reactions following injury, notably the accumulation of proinflammatory macrophages that impair normal healing processes. The continuous presence of inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α and IL-1β, creates a harmful microenvironment that obstructs the differentiation of tendon stem cells (TSCs) and promotes scar formation instead of functional tissue regeneration. To counteract this, the present study investigated the efficacy of a novel hydrogel, Rhe@GALL, enriched with rheum emodin (rhein) for its anti-inflammatory effects.
The Rhe@GALL hydrogel was shown to enhance both the structural organization and the mechanical attributes of the scaffold, and significantly altered the inflammatory microenvironment. Rhe@GALL successfully suppressed M1 macrophage polarization and reduced key inflammatory pathways, including the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. Further validation presented a decrease in the concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1β and CXCL10). Notably, the in vivo application of Rhe@GALL in a rat patellar tendon repair model showed a decrease in inflammatory infiltration and an augmented expression of type I collagen, signaling enhanced tendon healing.
The findings underscore the utility of the Rhe@GALL hydrogel as a versatile platform that tackles both structural and biological hurdles in tendon regeneration, establishing a novel benchmark for therapeutic approaches in tissue engineering.