Black phosphorus scaffolds enable efficient bone defect repair via anti-inflammatory, osteogenic differentiation promoting, and photothermal therapeutic effects
Bone defects pose a high risk of non-union and permanent disability, making effective bone regeneration a critical focus in the development of bone repair materials. Current research primarily emphasizes enhancing the single osteogenic function of bone repair materials, while neglecting the impact of the complex microenvironment in the body's bone defect area on bone repair. This has resulted in the failure of developed bone repair materials to achieve effective in vivo bone regeneration. In this study, a multifunctional near-infrared (NIR) light-responsive black phosphorus (BP) bone repair scaffold was fabricated via low-temperature deposition (LTD) 3D printing. In vitro characterization demonstrated that the scaffold possessed a cancellous bone-like structure, moderate compressive strength, and cytocompatibility, with the ability to promote osteogenesis under inflammatory conditions. In vivo studies further confirmed its favorable photothermal responsiveness, which enabled photothermal therapy (PTT) to accelerate bone regeneration while reducing inflammation in the defect area. These findings indicate that the multifunctional BP scaffold achieves superior bone repair outcomes through synergistic effects of anti-inflammation, osteogenic differentiation promotion, and PTT, thereby improving the success rate of defect repair. Moreover, the simple fabrication process and satisfactory therapeutic efficacy of this multifunctional BP scaffold highlight its high potential for clinical translation.
