ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Pharmacol.

Sec. Experimental Pharmacology and Drug Discovery

Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fphar.2025.1588023

This article is part of the Research TopicInnovations in Immunometabolic Treatment and Controlled Release Systems for Bone and Joint DisordersView all 7 articles

Probiotic biofilm modified bioceramics for bone defect healing via osteogenesis, angiogenesis, and immune modulation

Provisionally accepted
Junwei  SuJunwei SuHuiyun  GuHuiyun GuXiang  HuangXiang HuangYING  YUANYING YUANYunchang  ZhaoYunchang ZhaoFan  YangFan Yang*Yong  ZhaoYong Zhao*
  • Department of Orthopedic Trauma and Microsurgery, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

The failure to repair bone defects in a timely manner has a detrimental effect on patients' quality of life and functional status. Consequently, there are increasing demands for medical interventions to promote healing of bone defects. However, the local inflammation induced by implants and the side effects associated with the systemic use of drugs have prompted research into the development of bioactive materials. Recent reports have indicated that oral administration of Lactobacillus acidophilus (LA) can act as an immunomodulator. In this study, we have strategically designed bioceramic scaffolds modified with inactivated LA biofilms (LA@BC) through UV irradiation for localized application of LA. The biosafety of the scaffold was validated at the cellular and animal levels to ensure that it can be safely used without bacteraemia. LA@BC achieved M1 to M2 polarization of macrophages in vitro by reducing the secretion of inflammatory factors. In addition, LA@BC enhanced the osteogenic effect of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells by modulating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Furthermore, osteogenesis and angiogenesis complement each other. LA@BC exerted a positive effect on the angiogenic effect of endothelial cells. In a rat cranial defect model, LA@BC up-regulated the expression of RUNX2, OCN, CD31, and IL-10 in tissues, again demonstrating potent immunomodulatory and osteogenic effects. In conclusion, this bioactive scaffold provides a new strategy for clinical bone repair.

Keywords: bone tissue engineering, Immunomodulation, Wnt/β-catenin, probiotic biofilm, Lactobacillus acidophilus

Received: 05 Mar 2025; Accepted: 21 Apr 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Su, Gu, Huang, YUAN, Zhao, Yang and Zhao. 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:
Fan Yang, Department of Orthopedic Trauma and Microsurgery, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
Yong Zhao, Department of Orthopedic Trauma and Microsurgery, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China

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