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Multifunctional Mesoporous Calcium-Aluminosilicate Nanoparticles Enable Heterogeneous Activation of Endogenous Transforming Growth Factor β1 and Rapid Hemostasis for Bone Repair

  • Chun Xu*
  • , Qingxuan Chen
  • , Hang Chen
  • , Aoni Xu
  • , Juan Wen
  • , Yiwei Li
  • , Huan Dai
  • , Siyuan Liu
  • , Dan Cheng
  • , Yaping Song
  • , Bing Sun
  • , Jie Tang
  • , Jie Fan
  • , Chang Lei*
  • , Chengzhong Yu*
  • *Corresponding author for this work
  • University of Sydney
  • School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
  • University of Queensland
  • Monash University
  • Zhejiang University

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

The development of multifunctional biomaterials capable of simultaneously activating endogenous growth factors, promoting rapid hemostasis, and enhancing bone regeneration remains a significant challenge in regenerative medicine. Here, we report a rationally designed calcium-aluminosilicate dendritic mesoporous silica nanoparticle (CaAl-DMSN) that integrates heterogeneous catalytic growth factor activation with pro-coagulant and osteogenic functionalities in a single nanoscale platform. Featuring a four-coordinate aluminosilicate framework functionalized with calcium in a radial large-pore architecture, CaAl-DMSN generates a nanoconfined alkaline microenvironment via Ca2+ mediated hydroxide enrichment. This enables more than an order-of-magnitude higher activation efficiency of latent Transforming Growth Factor β1 (TGF-β1) compared to conventional homogeneous alkaline catalysis. Molecular dynamics simulations reveal a markedly reduced free-energy barrier for TGF-β1 dissociation, establishing a direct structure–function relationship between composition, nanostructure, and catalytic activity. Functionally, CaAl-DMSN induces rapid clot formation, enhances CD105+ CD73+ mesenchymal stromal cell recruitment, and promotes osteogenic differentiation via Smad signaling activation. In a rat critical-size calvarial defect model, CaAl-DMSN increases bone volume fraction by 80% compared with controls, while exhibiting excellent biocompatibility. Collectively, CaAl-DMSN couples interfacial chemistry, endogenous growth factor activation, hemostasis, and regenerative microenvironment modulation, offering a growth factor-free strategy for bone repair and broader tissue regeneration applications.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)24656-24670
Number of pages15
JournalACS Nano
Volume20
Issue number36
DOIs
StatePublished - 15 Sep 2026
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • alkaline activation
  • bone repair
  • heterogeneous catalysis
  • nanomaterials
  • stem cell recruitment

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