Diabetic patients often suffer higher orthopedic implant failure rates due to high blood sugar causing inflammation and oxidative stress. While molecular hydrogen (H2) shows anti-inflammatory and antioxidant promise, current delivery methods lack precision for sustained implant-site treatment. A collaborative team led by Prof. WANG Guocheng from the Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (SIAT) of the Chinese Academy of Science, Prof. KONG Liang from Air Force Medical University, and Prof. ZHAO Xiaobing from Changzhou University, developed a titanium implant that releases hydrogen directly into bone repair sites. As appeared in Advanced Materials on May 3, the researchers developed a novel nanoconfinement strategy featured with a “one-end-anchored docking” mechanism. This confines ammonia borane—a hydrogen-rich compound—within a special titanate nanocrystal coating on the implant.
Key to its success is controlled release dynamics: the nanoconfinement permits only water entry, triggering controlled hydrolysis of ammonia borane. This design ensures steady hydrogen evolution for 11 days-eliminating three critical risks: toxic byproduct leakage, bubble explosion hazards, and H2O2-mediated cytotoxicity. Experimental validation confirmed the coating’s efficacy in scavenging detrimental reactive oxygen species under high-glucose conditions, concurrently promoting neural regeneration, angiogenesis, and beneficial immunomodulation. Crucially, the sustained H2 release synergized with magnesium ions (Mg2+) released from the coating to reconstruct neurovascular networks and stimulate bone-forming stem cells.
In diabetic rabbits with bone defects, the implants drove superior bone regeneration alongside robust nerve and blood vessel recovery. The technology also showed promise under normal glucose levels, suggesting wider potential. Unlike rapid hydrogen systems for energy, this innovation uniquely harnesses nanoconfinement for controlled biomedical delivery, specifically revealing the combined power of H2 and Mg2+ for “innervated-vascularized bone regeneration”. It offers a transformative strategy for diabetic bone repair and potential applications in neural regeneration and anti-aging therapies.
An innovative titanium implant promotes diabetic bone regeneration through a powerful synergy between sustained H2 release and early-stage Mg2+ delivery. (Graphic: SIAT)