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Adv Materials Technologies - 2026 - Li - Enhanced Infection Resistance and Regenerative Healing of Titanium Implants via4.21 MB
Published Version (Advanced Access)CC BY V4.0, Open Access
Journal article
Enhanced Infection Resistance and Regenerative Healing of Titanium Implants via Peptide-Loaded Biodegradable Coatings
Advanced Materials Technologies, Vol.Advanced access
13-Mar-2026
Appears in UniSC Supported Open Access Outputs
Abstract
This study reports biodegradable polymer coatings incorporating a naturally derived antimicrobial peptide to provide sustained infection control and enhance regenerative healing of titanium bone implants. Titanium is widely used for permanent implants due to excellent mechanical properties, and additive manufacturing enables patient-specific, porous architectures that promote osseointegration. However, bacterial colonization and periprosthetic infection remain significant challenges, particularly for complex porous geometries. We developed a straightforward solvent-casting method to apply polycaprolactone (PCL) coatings loaded with the host defense peptide caerin 1.9 (F3) onto additively manufactured Ti-6Al-4 V scaffolds with gyroid triply periodic minimal surface structures. As-built scaffolds (approximate to 56% porosity) exhibited substantial roughness from partially melted powder, whereas polishing increased porosity (approximate to 66%), removed surface defects, and improved crack resistance. Peptide-loaded PCL coatings provided sustained in vitro antibacterial activity for up to 168 h and demonstrated in vivo protection beyond 72 h in a murine model challenged with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. The coatings showed no cytotoxicity and promoted increased expression of proteins associated with tissue healing. These dual-function antimicrobial and pro-regenerative coatings offer a promising strategy to improve the safety and biocompatibility of additively manufactured titanium implants.
Details
- Title
- Enhanced Infection Resistance and Regenerative Healing of Titanium Implants via Peptide-Loaded Biodegradable Coatings
- Authors
- Hejie Li - University of the Sunshine CoastTianfang Wang - University of the Sunshine CoastNicolas Soro - University of the Sunshine CoastGuoying Ni - University of the Sunshine CoastMeg Allom - University of the Sunshine CoastD. Ipek Kurtboke - University of the Sunshine CoastXiaosong Liu - First People's Hospital of FoshanDamon Kent - University of the Sunshine Coast
- Publication details
- Advanced Materials Technologies, Vol.Advanced access
- Publisher
- Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA
- DOI
- 10.1002/admt.202501977
- ISSN
- 2365-709X
- Copyright note
- © 2026 The Author(s). Advanced Materials Technologies published by Wiley-VCH GmbH This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
- Data Availability
- The data that support the findings of this study are available in the supplementary material of this article.
- Grant note
- Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province. Grant Number: 2020A1515010855 / Deng Feng Project of Foshan First People's Hospital. Grant Number: 2019A008 / Centre of Bioinnovation MCR grant of University of the Sunshine Coast / National Science Foundation of China. Grant Number: 31971355 / University of the Sunshine Coast. Grant Number: 20220825 / Japan Society for the Promotion of Science London. Grant Number: P16718
- Organisation Unit
- School of Science and Engineering - Legacy; GeneCology Research Centre - Legacy; School of Science, Technology and Engineering
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 991219492502621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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