| Abstract Scope |
Articular cartilage has a limited intrinsic capacity for self-repair due to its avascular nature and restricted nutrient diffusion. As a result, cartilage injuries often progress to osteoarthritis (OA), a degenerative joint disease affecting over 300 million people worldwide and projected to exceed 1 billion by 2050. Although hydrogels have been widely investigated to mimic the cartilage microenvironment, conventional systems show limited clinical translation due to inadequate metabolic support, poor adhesion, insufficient self-healing under mechanical loading, free radical generation, and restricted nutrient supply. To address this, we developed OxyCartiGel, composed of polyvinyl alcohol crosslinked with tannic acid and reinforced with cellulose nanofibers to achieve mechanical robustness and self-healing. Polyglutamic acid was incorporated as a bioenergetic component to sustain cellular metabolism. In a drill-induced OA rat model, OxyCartiGel enhanced neotissue formation, extracellular matrix deposition, and Sox-9 and collagen type II expression, indicating cartilage regeneration. |