ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol.
Sec. Biomaterials
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2025.1624106
This article is part of the Research TopicBiomaterials, 3D printing technologies, and perspectives for bone and cartilage regenerationView all 3 articles
Multifunctional PEEK Implants via Mussel Adhesion-Mediated Assembly for Osteoimmune Regulation and Antibacterial Properties
Provisionally accepted
Lei Wang1Qiang Wang1Fan Wang2Shouliang Xiong1Xin Yang1Jie Zhao1Xiao Lu1Yinchang Zhang1Pingbo Chen1
Surong Qian3*
Guohai Lu3
Chengyong Gu3- 1The First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, China
- 2Shanghai Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedics, Shanghai, China
- 3Suzhou Municipal Hospital, Suzhou, China
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Polyether ether ketone (PEEK) is widely recognized for its exceptional mechanical strength and biocompatibility, making it a promising material for orthopedic implants. However, its inherent biological inertia-manifested as poor osteogenic potential, limited antibacterial capability, and an excessive immune response-restricts its clinical effectiveness. In this study, we developed multifunctional PEEK implants (PEEK-PDA-Sr/AMP) by incorporating strontium ions (Sr), known for their dual biological roles, and the antimicrobial peptide PMAP-36 through a self-assembly approach inspired by mussel adhesion. The PDA coating significantly enhanced the surface roughness and hydrophilicity of PEEK at the microscale, while the co-modification with Sr and AMP promoted the adhesion and distribution of both bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and macrophages (BMMs). By modulating macrophage polarization, PEEK-PDA-Sr/AMP established a favorable osteoimmune environment that enhanced BMSC osteogenesis in vitro and exhibited strong antibacterial effects against both S.aureus and E. coli. In vivo studies, including micro-CT, histological analysis, and immunohistochemistry staining, demonstrated that PEEK-PDA-Sr/AMP implants significantly improved immune regulation and osseointegration in a rat model of osteomyelitis. This study presents a novel surface bioengineering strategy for PEEK implants, providing an effective solution for integrating multiple biological functions to meet therapeutic needs.
Keywords: Immune Regulation, Implant-associated infections, Osseointegration, PEEK, Strontium
Received: 07 May 2025; Accepted: 28 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Wang, Wang, Wang, Xiong, Yang, Zhao, Lu, Zhang, Chen, Qian, Lu and Gu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Surong Qian, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, Suzhou, China
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