Citation: Wenquan Lv, Yongfeng Lan, Xiaoshuai Wu, Jiaxiao Li, Xiaoguang Lin, Leiyuan Peng, Rubiao Qiu, Xiaoxuan Guan, Mingjing Yin, Renfeng Dong, Xidi Liu, Ming Gao, Yan Liu. An immunoregulatory cerium dioxide incorporated hydrogel scaffold for cartilage defect repair via reprogramming articular cavity microenvironment[J]. Chinese Chemical Letters, ;2026, 37(12): 113206. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2026.113206 shu

An immunoregulatory cerium dioxide incorporated hydrogel scaffold for cartilage defect repair via reprogramming articular cavity microenvironment

Wenquan Lv ^{a, 1} ,
Yongfeng Lan ^{b, 1} ,
Xiaoshuai Wu ^{a, 1} ,
Jiaxiao Li ^{a, 1} ,
Xiaoguang Lin ^{a, 1} ,
Leiyuan Peng ^c ,
Rubiao Qiu ^d ,
Xiaoxuan Guan ^e ,
Mingjing Yin ^a ,
Renfeng Dong ^f ,
Xidi Liu ^{b, *,} ,
Ming Gao ^{a, e, *,} ,
Yan Liu ^{b, *,}

a.
Department of Emergency, Department of Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China
b.
Department of Clinical Nutrition, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China
c.
Department of Prosthodontics, College & Hospital of Somatology, Guangxi Medical University, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Oral and Maxillofacial Restoration and Reconstruction, Nanning 530021, China
d.
Department of Orthopedics, Guangxi Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Nanning 530005, China
e.
Life Sciences Institute, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China
f.
School of Chemistry, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China

176400893@qq.com

gaoming1983125@hotmail.com

kathaineliu@163.com

Received Date: 3 June 2026
Revised Date: 9 July 2026
Accepted Date: 10 July 2026
Available Online: 10 July 2026

Figures(4)

Cartilage defect (CD) refers to the local loss of cartilage covering the joint surface, often accompanied by the excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) and inflammation response. Reprogramming cartilage cavity microenvironment is the most effective strategy to treat CD. Herein, the nanosized cerium dioxide (CeO₂) was incorporated into 4% methacrylic modified carboxymethyl cellulose to establish nanocomposited hydrogel scaffold (4%CC), applied as a CD therapeutic strategy with the functions of antioxidant, anti-inflammation and tissue repair. The incorporation of CeO₂ in 4%CC, ensuring a stable release of Ce ions, had confirmed its excellent abilities of lowering intracellular ROS levels, downregulating inflammatory factors expression, promoting chondrogenic factors expression, inhibiting nuclear factor kappaB (NF-κB) pathway, and inducing macrophage M2 polarization both in lipopolysaccharide induced cells, and CD rat models. It may provide a novel perspective on the design of hydrogel scaffold with multiple functions for future tissue engineering application.
- Cartilage defect repair,
- CeO₂ incorporated hydrogel,
- ROS scavenging,
- Macrophage M2 polarization,
- Articular cavity microenvironment
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