Work

Photothermal-programmed hydrogel patches for stress-oriented contraction and regeneration of penetrating oral fistulas

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Penetrating oral fistulas (POFs) are difficult to close because of high edge tension and often persist to enlarge, inflame, and lesion in complex microenvironments. Here, we engineered a photothermal-programmed contractile hydrogel coupled with multistimulus response behavior via a cascade enzyme-catalyzed polymerization approach to synergistically counteract tension, assist in contraction, and modulate the immune microenvironment. Thermal-mediated stress enhancement (4.04-fold increase) optimized the strong interfacial adhesion (2.53-fold increase), which provided the prerequisite for synchronized contraction. Under near-infrared (NIR) light stimulation, photothermal-programmed mechanical changes increased the expression of mechanosensitive integrin β1 in myoblasts and promoted cell-oriented elongation (orientation factor of up to 0.87) and myotube fusion, which facilitated muscle regeneration. In addition, inflammatory microenvironmental modulation and stress compensation for photothermal-programmed contraction synergistically accelerated the healing of POFs in rabbits and reduced the overdeposition of fibrotic scars. Mechanical assistance and microenvironment modulation strategies provide promising therapeutic options for difficult-to-heal penetrating fistulas (PFs).

Source: Cell Biomaterials

DOI: 10.1016/j.celbio.2025.100316