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Review
. 2023 Dec 8:33:506-531.
doi: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2023.11.021. eCollection 2024 Mar.

Progress in regulating inflammatory biomaterials for intervertebral disc regeneration

Honglin Xiang  1 , Weikang Zhao  2 , Ke Jiang  1 , Jiangtao He  1 , Lu Chen  1 , Wenguo Cui  3 , Yuling Li  1
Affiliations
Review

Progress in regulating inflammatory biomaterials for intervertebral disc regeneration

Honglin Xiang et al. Bioact Mater. .

Abstract

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) is rising worldwide and leading to significant health issues and financial strain for patients. Traditional treatments for IVDD can alleviate pain but do not reverse disease progression, and surgical removal of the damaged disc may be required for advanced disease. The inflammatory microenvironment is a key driver in the development of disc degeneration. Suitable anti-inflammatory substances are critical for controlling inflammation in IVDD. Several treatment options, including glucocorticoids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and biotherapy, are being studied for their potential to reduce inflammation. However, anti-inflammatories often have a short half-life when applied directly and are quickly excreted, thus limiting their therapeutic effects. Biomaterial-based platforms are being explored as anti-inflammation therapeutic strategies for IVDD treatment. This review introduces the pathophysiology of IVDD and discusses anti-inflammatory therapeutics and the components of these unique biomaterial platforms as comprehensive treatment systems. We discuss the strengths, shortcomings, and development prospects for various biomaterials platforms used to modulate the inflammatory microenvironment, thus providing guidance for future breakthroughs in IVDD treatment.

Keywords: Anti-Inflammation; Biomaterials; Intervertebral disc; Tissue regeneration.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Figures

Image 1
Graphical abstract
Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Role of the inflammatory response in IVDD.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Drugs and delivery strategies for alleviating inflammatory responses in IVDD.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Nanosystem delivery strategies that alleviate the inflammatory response in IVDD.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Application of natural polymer microspheres to alleviate the inflammation in IVDD. a. Injectable circRNA-silencing-hydrogel microspheres for the regulation of ECM metabolism. Reproduced with permission from Ref. [234]. b. Microparticle encapsulation of EGCG inhibits the expression of inflammatory mediators. Reproduced with permission from Ref. [236]. c. Nanozyme-functionalized hydrogel microsphere. Reproduced with permission from Ref. [232].
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Application of synthetic polymer microspheres to alleviate inflammation in IVDD.
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Application of synthetic and natural hydrogel materials to alleviate the inflammation in IVDD.
Fig. 7
Fig. 7
Application of synthetic polymer hydrogel materials to alleviate the inflammation in IVDD.
Fig. 8
Fig. 8
Application of composite hydrogel materials to alleviate the inflammation in IVDD.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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