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Review
. 2022 Nov 22;16(1):32.
doi: 10.1186/s13036-022-00311-x.

Applications of carbon dots and its modified carbon dots in bone defect repair

Longchuan Zhu #  1 , Weijian Kong #  1 , Jijun Ma  2 , Renfeng Zhang  1 , Cheng Qin  1 , Hao Liu  1 , Su Pan  3
Affiliations
Review

Applications of carbon dots and its modified carbon dots in bone defect repair

Longchuan Zhu et al. J Biol Eng. .

Abstract

Bone defect repair is a continual and complicated process driven by a variety of variables. Because of its bright multicolor luminescence, superior biocompatibility, water dispersibility, and simplicity of synthesis from diverse carbon sources, carbon dots (CDs) have received a lot of interest. It has a broad variety of potential biological uses, including bone defect repair, spinal cord injury, and wound healing. Materials including CDs as the matrix or major component have shown considerable benefits in enabling bone defect healing in recent years. By altering the carbon dots or mixing them with other wound healing-promoting agents or materials, the repair effect may be boosted even further. The report also shows and discusses the use of CDs to heal bone abnormalities. The study first presents the fundamental features of CDs in bone defect healing, then provides CDs manufacturing techniques that should be employed in bone defect repair, and lastly examines their development in the area of bioengineering, particularly in bone defect repair. In this work, we look at how carbon dots and their alteration products may help with bone defect healing by being antibacterial, anti-infective, osteogenic differentiation-promoting, and gene-regulating.

Keywords: Alkaline phosphatase; Anti-infective; Antibacterial; Bone defect repair; Carbon dots; Gene regulation; Good biocompatibility.

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Conflict of interest statement

Not applicable.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Typical fracture healing process, biological processes, and distinct phases of cell activity. The major metabolic stage of fracture healing (blue strip) coincides with the biological stage (brown strip). In mice, the healing period is equal to that of a closed femoral fracture treated with an intramedullary rod. Abbreviations: BMP, Bone Morphogenetic protein; BMPR, Bone Morphogenetic protein receptor; DKK1,Dickkopf related protein 1; low density Lipoprotein receptor related protein; MSCs, Mesenchymal Stem cells; PMN; parathyroid hormone; parathyroid hormone related protein; RANKL, Nuclear Factor κ B Ligand receptor Activator [34]. (Copyright © 2014, Nature Publishing Group, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited. All Rights Reserved.)
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Typical STEM images of (A) PEG1500N and (B) PPEI-EI surface passivated carbon dots [10]. (Copyright © 2006, American Chemical Society)
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Relative expression levels of cell adhesion-related genes in scaffolds. The expression of the adhesion patch pathway genes FAK and VCL was significantly enhanced in the CS/nHA/CD scaffold. the expression of PXN was also higher in the CS/nHA/CD scaffold [56]
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Fluorescent microscopic images showing MG 63 cells growing in tissue culture wells after 7 days of culture: (a) control (without nanomaterial), (b) HAP (100 μg mL-1), (c) CD (100 μg mL-1), (d) CD@HAP composite (100 μg mL-1) and (e) CD@HAP composite (200 mg mL-1). Scale bar represents 100 mm
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Cell changes on various carbon dots materials. A: Scanning electron microscope photos of MG-63 cells attached to the scaffold for 1 day and 7 days; B: DAPI staining fluorescence images of MG-63 cells cultured on scaffolds for 1 day and 7 days [66](© 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd); C: Study on cytotoxicity of polylactic acid and polylactic acid-cyclodextrin polymer [71]. (Copyright © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Islamic Azad University)
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
(A, B) expression of chondrocyte-specific genes Acan and Col2a1 at 4 and 8 weeks after subcutaneous implantation in nude mice [57] (C = collagen, CN = collagen mixed with CD NPs, CG = collagen crosslinked with genipin, CGN =collagen crosslinked with genipin and CD NPs, CGN + PDT=CGN after 808 nm laser irradiation at a power density of 8.3 mW/cm2 for 3 min). (© 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved)
Fig. 7
Fig. 7
Antimicrobial performance of the stents. (A) The effectiveness of several groups' in vitro antibacterial treatments against clinically significant Staphylococcus aureus (left) and Escherichia coli (right). The antibacterial activity against clinical microorganisms was greater in the CS/NHA/CD+NIR group. The mean and standard deviation of the values are shown; *p<0.05, **p<0.01. (B) H&E staining of samples collected from the various groups. The CS/nHA/CD+NIR group had a limited number of lobulated neutrophils (orange arrows), while the CS/nHA+NIR group had a large number of lobulated neutrophils. (C) After the specimens were taken, they were given in vivo treatment for a week, and then they were incubated for 24 hours. The number of colonies of clinically relevant S. aureus (top) and E. coli (bottom) were then counted. The mean and standard deviation of the values are shown; *p<0.05, **p<0.01. (D) Samples stained with Giemsa. Less bacteria in the CS/NHA/CD+NIR group (pink arrows), more bacteria in the CS/NHA+NIR group (blue arrows). Scaffold is represented by S [56]
Fig. 8
Fig. 8
Antibacterial effect of cationic carbon dots. (A) Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and MRSA treated with different concentrations of p-CQD (0e9mg/mL) showed typical colony formation on LB Agar plate. (B) scanning electron microscope images of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus before and after p-CQDs treatment.(C): typical skin wound photos of MRSA-infected mice treated with PBS solution (control), commercial wound plastic or p-CQDs for 0, 2, 4, 6, 9 and 12 days [72].( © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)
Fig. 9
Fig. 9
Different groups' effects on alkaline phosphatase activity. (A) the relative alkaline phosphatase activities of control group, Zn-CDs group and Zn-G group were compared on the 3rd and 7th day (concentration was 100 μg/mL); (B) Compare the expression of five related genes in MC3T3-E1 cells after incubation of Zn-CDs and Zn-G (100μg/mL) for 3d and (C) 7d; (D) ALP activity. The effect of Zn-CDs on ALP activity was dose-dependent. (*)P<0.001, (**)P<0.01, P<0.001; (E) ALP staining results showed that Zn-CDs had an effect on alkaline phosphatase activity of MC3T3-E1 cells on the 14th day [60]
Fig. 10
Fig. 10
(A, B) Gene expression levels associated with osteogenesis after 7 and 14 days in culture. On day 7, ALP expression levels in the CS/NHA/CD scaffold were considerably greater than those in the CS/NHA scaffold, and on day 14, Col-1 and OCN expression levels in the CS/NHA/CD scaffold were significantly higher than those in the CS/NHA scaffold [56]
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