An ingenious design from nature to accelerate the repair of long-bone critical defects: the longitudinal tubular transverse interconnection structure of deer antlers.

ABSTRACT: Deer antlers, the only mammalian bony organs capable of complete regeneration, exhibit a growth rate of 2.7 cm/day, far surpassing human long bones (1 mm/day). Long-bone critical defects (LBCDs) occur when defects exceed intrinsic healing capacity. While antler stem cells drive regeneration, their immunogenicity limits clinical translation. Antler extracellular matrix (ECM) components have been proven to enhance bone repair, the role of its unique "longitudinal tubule-transverse connection" structure remains unexplored. Here, matrix scaffolds (devoid of cellular/active components) were prepared along longitudinal (L) or horizontal (H) axes, with cancellous scaffolds (R) as controls. Histological and in vitro analyses confirmed structural integrity and immunogenicity elimination. Bone marro

SUBMITTER: Wang C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12305181 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature