A piezoelectrically driven hierarchical biomimetic architecture promotes diabetic bone defect repair by bidirectionally regulating HIF-1α to restore immunometabolic-vascular homeostasis

Diabetic bone defects are difficult to repair because chronic hyperglycemia disrupts local immunometabolic and vascular homeostasis, leading to persistent inflammation, poor angiogenesis, and impaired osteogenesis. Here we report a piezoelectrically driven hierarchical biomimetic architecture that promotes diabetic bone defect repair through spatially bidirectional regulation of HIF-1α. The system comprises an ultrasound-responsive PLLA/ZnO/DFO biomimetic periosteum and a conductive GelMA/MXene/Ce-MOF@Arg defect-filling hydrogel. Under ultrasound stimulation, the upper layer generates piezoelectric microcurrents and releases deferoxamine, which is associated with activation of endothelial HIF-1α/VEGF signaling and angiogenic responses, whereas the lower layer relays electrical cues into the defect core and is associated with reduced macrophage HIF-1α expression and glycolytic activity in parallel with arginine delivery and Ce-MOF nanozyme-mediated redox regulation. This design promotes recovery toward a more favorable immunometabolic-vascular state by coupling superficial pro-angiogenic activation with deep anti-inflammatory metabolic remodeling. The scaffold shows favorable piezoelectric, conductive, mechanical, degradation, and release properties, promotes endothelial migration, drives macrophage polarization toward a reparative phenotype, enhances osteogenic-angiogenic coupling, and substantially accelerates critical-sized calvarial defect healing in diabetic rats. Our findings provide an electroactive and spatially coordinated strategy for diabetic bone regeneration.

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Publication Details

Journal
Journal of Nanobiotechnology
Published
2026-09-11
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12951-026-05027-4
Primary Topic
3D Printing in Biomedical Research
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

A piezoelectrically driven hierarchical biomimetic architecture promotes diabetic bone defect repair by bidirectionally regulating HIF-1α to restore immunometabolic-vascular homeostasis

Xiaoxiao Feng, 郑龙坡, Nanning Lv, Haifu Sun et al.
Journal of Nanobiotechnology
3D Printing in Biomedical Research
article

A piezoelectrically driven hierarchical biomimetic architecture promotes diabetic bone defect repair by bidirectionally regulating HIF-1α to restore immunometabolic-vascular homeostasis

Xiaoxiao Feng, 郑龙坡, Nanning Lv, Haifu Sun, Xiaofan Chen, Xuran Guo, Ying Hu, He Dong, Hongye Li, Xinhui Wu, Xieping Dong, Jing Shi, Mingming Liu
article en

Abstract

Diabetic bone defects are difficult to repair because chronic hyperglycemia disrupts local immunometabolic and vascular homeostasis, leading to persistent inflammation, poor angiogenesis, and impaired osteogenesis. Here we report a piezoelectrically driven hierarchical biomimetic architecture that promotes diabetic bone defect repair through spatially bidirectional regulation of HIF-1α. The system comprises an ultrasound-responsive PLLA/ZnO/DFO biomimetic periosteum and a conductive GelMA/MXene/Ce-MOF@Arg defect-filling hydrogel. Under ultrasound stimulation, the upper layer generates piezoelectric microcurrents and releases deferoxamine, which is associated with activation of endothelial HIF-1α/VEGF signaling and angiogenic responses, whereas the lower layer relays electrical cues into the defect core and is associated with reduced macrophage HIF-1α expression and glycolytic activity in parallel with arginine delivery and Ce-MOF nanozyme-mediated redox regulation. This design promotes recovery toward a more favorable immunometabolic-vascular state by coupling superficial pro-angiogenic activation with deep anti-inflammatory metabolic remodeling. The scaffold shows favorable piezoelectric, conductive, mechanical, degradation, and release properties, promotes endothelial migration, drives macrophage polarization toward a reparative phenotype, enhances osteogenic-angiogenic coupling, and substantially accelerates critical-sized calvarial defect healing in diabetic rats. Our findings provide an electroactive and spatially coordinated strategy for diabetic bone regeneration.

Journal of Nanobiotechnology
Tongji University (CN), Nanchang University (CN), First Affiliated Hospital of Jiangxi Medical College (CN), Lianyungang Oriental Hospital (CN), Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health (CN), Tongren Hospital (CN), The First People’s Hospital of Lianyungang (CN), Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital (CN), First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University (CN), University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN), Mendel University in Brno (CZ)
China Postdoctoral Science Foundation
No poverty
Openalex Percentile: Top 21%
3D Printing in Biomedical Research
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