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A research team led by Professor Hyung Joon Cha and his colleagues from POSTECH has developed an injectable adhesive hydrogel for bone regeneration that utilizes visible light for cross-linking and mineralization without the need for bone grafts. Published in Biomaterials, this groundbreaking research offers a new solution for bone defects caused by various factors like trauma, infection, and congenital abnormalities. Conventional treatments typically involve bone grafts combined with bioadhesives, but they face challenges maintaining shape and adhesive strength. Existing injectable hydrogels struggle to achieve both bone regeneration and adhesion simultaneously.

By employing visible light, which is safe for the human body, the POSTECH team’s hydrogel system addresses the limitations of traditional methods. This novel system enables cross-linking and mineralization within the hydrogel, forming bone-building minerals like calcium and phosphate. Previous studies attempting to use light encountered issues such as the need for separate preparation and weak bonding of components. The newly developed hydrogel precursor includes alginate, RGD peptide-containing mussel adhesive protein, calcium ions, phosphonodiols, and a photoinitiator. The formulation, immiscible in water, ensures the hydrogel retains its shape after injection.

Experiments on animal models with femoral bone defects revealed the successful injection, accurate adhesion, and effective delivery of components crucial for bone regeneration using the hydrogel. Professor Cha believes this injectable hydrogel system offers an innovative alternative to complex treatments for bone diseases and will significantly advance bone tissue regeneration technology. The research was supported by the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Dental Medical Technology Research and Development Project and the Integrated End-to-End Medical Device R&D Project, showcasing the potential impact of this development in the field of medicine.

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