Composite Materials For Synergistic Oral Mucosa Repair & Oscc Ablation

To develop dual-functional composite materials integrating tissue engineering and photothermal therapy for concurrent oral mucosal defect repair and photothermal ablation of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Composite materials consisting of MXene/collagen/silk fibroin (MXene/COL/SF) combined with collagen/polycaprolactone (COL/PCL) nanofiber membranes were fabricated via 3D printing and electrospinning technology. The photothermal properties of these materials were assessed at 1064 nm under different experimental conditions. The viability, migration and cytoskeletal organization of rat mucosa fibroblasts were evaluated using CCK-8 assay, scratch wound assay, and phalloidin staining, respectively. Subsequently, the materials were applied to oral mucosal defects in rats, and tissue healing process was monitored. The photothermal anti-tumor performance was evaluated through Calcein/PI staining, flow cytometry, LDH release measurement, IL-1β detection, DiI/PI staining and western blot. Tumor tissue sections were subjected to HE, TUNEL and immunohistochemical staining. The composite materials achieved an effective therapeutic temperature while maintaining excellent photothermal stability. The composite materials demonstrated good biocompatibility and effectively promoted the repair of oral mucosal defects. Following photothermal treatment with the composite materials, tumor cells exhibited shrinkage and a spherical morphology. The anti-tumor mechanism was primarily mediated by the promotion of apoptosis and pyroptosis in OSCC cells. The MXene/COL/SF@COL/PCL composite materials demonstrate superior cell compatibility and high photothermal conversion efficiency. They enhance the efficacy against OSCC by inducing apoptosis and pyroptosis, making them promising dual-functional materials for integrated oral mucosal repair and OSCC treatment.