Advances in osteoimmunomodulation of biomaterials after intrabone implantation: focus on surface hydrophilicity

Abstract

Biomaterials intended for intrabone implantation are extensively utilized in orthopedic and dental applications. Their surface properties, particularly hydrophilicity, significantly influence the biological interactions surrounding the implant, ultimately determining the implant's in vivo fate. Recently, the role of osteoimmunomodulation in these implantable biomaterials has been recognized for its importance in regulating biomaterial-mediated osteogenesis. Consequently, it is imperative to elucidate the correlation between hydrophilicity and the immune response for the development of osteoimmunomodulatory implants. Herein, this review highlights recent advances in osteoimmunomodulation of biomaterials after intrabone implantation from a novel perspective—surface hydrophilicity, and summarizes the series of immune reactions and subsequent bone remodeling that occur in response to hydrophilic implants, focusing on protein adsorption, the behaviors of major immune cells, and osteoimmunomodulation-enhanced angiogenesis and osteogenesis. Hydrophilic biomaterials have the capacity to alter the surrounding immune microenvironment and accelerate the process of material-tissue bonding, thereby facilitating the successful integration of biomaterials with tissue. Collectively, the authors hope that this article provides strategies for modulating hydrophilicity to achieve osteoimmunomodulatory performance and further promotes the development of novel implantable biomaterials for orthopedic and dental applications.