Injectable In Situ Induced Robust Hydrogel for Photothermal Therapy and Bone Fracture Repair

Malignant bone tumors are often accompanied by osteolytic destruction and severe pathological fractures. Current therapeutic strategies can largely inhibit tumor proliferation, but the high recurrence rate of tumors and related bone defects remain a significant challenge. This study aims to address these issues by developing a novel near-infrared (NIR) light-responsive and a mechanically strong hydrogel that offers excellent photothermal tumor therapy and bone fracture repair capabilities. The as-prepared hydrogel exhibits good biocompatibility and an ultra-strong photothermal effect due to the formation of a complex network with up-conversion lanthanide-Au hybrid nanoparticles and alginate molecules. A subcutaneous tumor model is used to demonstrate that tumors can be efficiently eradicated via local photothermal treatment, where there is no tumor recurrence within the observation period. Moreover, the injected hydrogel becomes mechanically strong due to in situ Ca²⁺ crosslinking, which provides a supportive matrix to promote the repair of bone defects via stabilization of the fractured bone structure. The high photothermal effect and robust support offered by this single material demonstrate the potential of using the proposed hydrogel for the simultaneous treatment of bone tumor removal and bone healing.