Journal of Functional Biomaterials

Guided bone regeneration (GBR) relies on barrier membrane integrity to prevent soft-tissue ingrowth. Although collagen membranes are widely used, their limited longevity can compromise space maintenance, underscoring the need for strategies that enhance membrane stability without impairing the regenerative potential. We hypothesized that thermal denaturation of platelet-poor plasma (PPP), combined with heat-induced modifications of collagen fibrils, could generate a volume-stable, plasma-rich composite that preserves membrane structure and restricts cellular penetration. To test this proof-of-principle concept, collagen membranes were soaked in PPP and either kept at room temperature or subjected to thermal treatment (75 °C/10 min) prior to implantation in rat calvarial defects. Bone regeneration and membrane behavior were evaluated after three weeks using micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) and histology. Micro-CT suggested only minor numerical differences in mineralized tissue between groups; however, these data should not be overinterpreted because micro-CT cannot differentiate mineralization formed within the collagen membrane from mineralization adjacent to it. Consistent with this limitation, histology demonstrated that mineral deposition and early bone formation extended into the structure of room-temperature PPP membranes, whereas mineralized tissue in the thermally treated group was predominantly located outside the membrane, indicating reduced osteoconductive integration within the membrane. Together, these findings support that thermal denaturation of PPP shifts early composite membrane behavior toward barrier-dominant characteristics at the expense of intramembranous mineralization.

Ion-releasing restorative biomaterials have gained increasing attention in minimally invasive dentistry due to their potential to combine mechanical reliability with therapeutic functionality. Cention^® N is an alkasite-based restorative material designed to release fluoride, calcium, and hydroxyl ions while exhibiting mechanical properties comparable to resin-based composites. The present study aimed to systematically evaluate the clinical performance of this ion-releasing restorative material in comparison with conventional resin composites and glass ionomer cements. A comprehensive systematic search was conducted in PubMed (MEDLINE), Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Scopus, EMBASE, and SciELO databases up to 31 October 2024, following the PRISMA guidelines. Clinical studies assessing restorative performance outcomes were included. Meta-analyses were performed using Review Manager software (version 5.1). Fourteen studies met the inclusion criteria for qualitative synthesis, of which ten were eligible for quantitative analysis. The pooled results demonstrated comparable clinical performance between alkasite restoratives and resin-based composites regarding retention and secondary caries incidence, while superior outcomes were observed when compared with glass ionomer cements. Within the limitations of the available evidence, ion-releasing alkasite restorative materials represent a clinically acceptable alternative to conventional restorative options, combining functional biomaterial properties with reliable clinical performance. The conclusions should be interpreted within the context of the included studies, which exhibited clinical heterogeneity and, in several cases, a moderate risk of bias.

Background/Objectives: Aberrant metabolism in tumors exacerbates the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. The immunosuppressive metabolite kynurenine inhibits the activation of effector T cells. Current antitumor drugs targeting kynurenine focus on small molecule inhibitors, which exhibit suboptimal efficacy in suppressing kynurenine generation owing to the diversity of kynurenine synthesis pathways. In contrast, kynureninase (KYNase) can directly metabolize kynurenine regardless of the production source. However, its delivery is hindered by short blood-circulation half-life and poor tumor accumulation. Additionally, photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been reported to synergize with immunotherapy, suggesting a potential combinatorial photodynamic immunometabolic cancer therapy with KYNase. Methods: A KYNase-Fc fusion protein was prepared to prolong blood circulation and enhance tumor accumulation of KYNase. Meanwhile, KYNase-Fc served as a nanocarrier for photosensitizer pheophorbide A (PhA) due to the high binding affinity between KYNase-Fc and PhA. Through self-assembly, KYNase-Fc/PhA nanoparticles (KYNase-Fc/PhA NPs) were prepared without extra carrier materials. Results: Compared with the PEGylated KYNase, KYNase-Fc exhibited significantly prolonged blood circulation, enhanced tumor accumulation and effective tumor suppression. Moreover, the prepared KYNase-Fc/PhA NPs facilitated rapid PhA tumor accumulation. The combined photodynamic immunometabolic therapy alleviated the immunosuppressive microenvironment and significantly inhibited the growth of subcutaneous 4T1 tumors in mice. Conclusions: KYNase-Fc offered a carrier-free nanomedicine for co-delivery of PhA for photodynamic immunometabolic antitumor therapy with enhanced efficacy, providing a promising platform for clinical translation.