Bone defects have been a tough clinical challenge. The natural trabecular tissue reflects a balance between the minimal metabolic cost of maintenance and maximal network stability, with mitochondria being the energy suppliers for osteogenesis. Herein, a 3D printed trabecular bone-templated scaffold composed of polylactide (PLA) modified with europium (III)-organic ligands (polydopamine and chitooligosaccharide, PDA/COS@Eu) was fabricated (denoted as Tra-PLA/PDA/COS@Eu) to augment bone repair by facilitating mitochondrial function. First, the trabecular bone templated-scaffold provides superior mechanical performance and permeability in contrast to a computer aided designed (CAD) scaffold under a same volume fraction. Tra-PLA/PDA/COS@Eu scaffold up regulated PI3K/AKT/S6K/HIF-1α pathway and significantly promoted BMSCs proliferation and osteogenic differentiation. In addition, Tra-PLA/PDA/COS@Eu scaffold provided anti-inflammatory environment by promoting macrophages M2 polarization through COS, and significantly stimulated BMSCs osteogenesis with enhanced mitochondrial function and biosynthesis. Remarkably, Eu ions are the key ingredient in enhancing mitochondrial function and biosynthesis in BMSCs. Further studies showed that the above-mentioned facilitations in a rabbit bone defect model were found to be more significant with trabecular bone-templated scaffolds, as opposed to CAD scaffolds. In summary, this novel trabecular bone-templated scaffold targeting mitochondrial function has the potential to become an effective method in the treatment of large bone defects.
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a debilitating, incurable, and life-threatening disease that lacks effective therapy. The overexpression of phosphodiesterase 10A (PDE10A) plays a vital role in pulmonary fibrosis (PF). However, the impact of selective PDE10A inhibitors on the tumor growth factor-β (TGF-β)/small mother against decapentaplegic (Smad) signaling pathway remains unclear. Herein, we have exploited a novel carbonyl sulfide (COS)/hydrogen sulfide (H2S)-donor hybrid PDE10A inhibitor called COS-2080 with a well-defined mechanism of H2S-releasing action. It exhibited highly potent inhibitory activity against PDE10A and excellent PDE subfamily selectivity. Moreover, COS-2080 demonstrated significant antifibrotic effects by inhibiting cell proliferation and mitigating fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition (FMT). A dry powder inhalation formulation called COS-2080-DPI has been developed using the ultrasonic spray freeze drying (USFD) technique, demonstrating significant antifibrotic efficacy in mice with bleomycin-induced PF at a dosage approximately 600 times lower than pirfenidone. This remarkable antifibrotic efficacy of COS-2080 on TGF-β1-induced FMT could be primarily attributed to its inhibition of the Smad2/Smad3 phosphorylation. Moreover, COS-2080 effectively attenuated fibrosis in MRC-5 cells by activating the cAMP/protein kinase A (PKA)/CREB pathway and potentially increasing levels of p53 protein. Our findings suggest that effective inhibition of PDE10A potentially confers a protective effect on FMT in PF by impeding TGF-β signaling and activating the cAMP/PKA/CREB/p53 axis.