Engineering fibroblast with reprogramming and spheronization for bone defect repair.

ABSTRACT: Bone diseases profoundly affect patients, particularly the elderly, leading to severe health complications and disabilities. Osteoblasts play a crucial role in bone formation and are ideal candidates for treating bone diseases and engineering living materials. However, the stem and progenitor cells that give rise to osteoblasts, as well as osteoblasts themselves, exhibit dysfunction with aging. Although chemical reprogramming of fibroblasts into osteoblasts has been achieved, effective cell-based therapies or living materials have not been established in clinical practice. Here, we present a method to engineer fibroblasts through small molecule reprogramming and spheronization, achieving functional osteoblastic materials across all age groups. By primarily targeting the WNT signaling pathw

SUBMITTER: Li Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12041790 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature