journal article·2025-02-12Open access

Laser-Induced Photothermal Hydrogels Promote the Proliferation of MC3T3-E1 Preosteoblasts for Enhanced Bone Healing

Audrey L. Wu, Abigail F. Wu, Chieh-Ying Chen, Ruaina Lily Hope Moreno, Jia-Lin Wu, Pei-Chun Wong

Abstract

The nonunion and delayed union of bones are common challenges in orthopedic surgery, even when bone alignment is correct and sufficient mechanical stability is provided. To address this, artificial bone grafts are often applied to fracture gaps or defect sites to promote osteogenesis and enhance bone healing. In this study, we developed an alginate-based hydrogel incorporating gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) to enhance cell proliferation and facilitate bone healing through a photothermal effect induced by near-infrared (NIR) laser irradiation. The temperature was controlled by adjusting the AuNP content. The hydrogel’s properties were characterized and cell viability was assessed. Our results indicate that while the incorporation of AuNPs slightly disrupted the hydrogel’s cross-linking network at low concentrations, cell viability remained unaffected across both low and high AuNP contents. These findings suggest that this photothermal hydrogel holds great promise for orthopedic applications to improve bone healing.
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Research context

OpenAlex topics: Nanoplatforms for cancer theranostics · Hydrogels: synthesis, properties, applications · Electrospun Nanofibers in Biomedical Applications

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

Graduate Institute of Biomedical Optomechatronics, College of Biomedical Engineering, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan

Morrison Academy Taipei, New Taipei 24449, Taiwan

School of Biomedical Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan

Department of Orthopedics, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei 11031, Taiwan

Department of Orthopedics, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan

Orthopedics Research Center, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei 11031, Taiwan

Centers for Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11696, Taiwan

Funding

National Science and Technology Council of Taiwan

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