Enhancing Bone Defect Repair and Acute Wound Healing: The Synergistic Effects of Nanodiamond-Enhanced Gelatin Methacryloyl Hydrogels

In tissue engineering, gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) has attracted significant attention because of its exceptional biocompatibility and readily tunable physical properties. Although incorporating nanofillers or other polymers into GelMA has been widely adopted in bone engineering for enhanced elasticity and functionality, how nanoparticle composite hydrogels influence tissue repair and healing remains underexplored. Here, we synthesized a series of novel nanodiamond-composite hydrogels (NDs-G) by embedding nanodiamond particles within a meticulously controlled GelMA matrix and investigated the impact of the NDs-G's internal composition and architecture on cell migration and growth. The NDs-G formulation offered an expansive, nontoxic substrate that significantly facilitated cell adhesion, proliferation, anchorage, and expansion, thereby substantially promoting new tissue development. The potential of NDs-G dressings to accelerate the healing of acute wounds was underscored by mouse experiments studies, which revealed that it markedly diminishes microbial infection risk and enhances deep dermal injury healing. Furthermore, integrating NDs-G with a three-periodic minimal surface structure yielded an NDs-G-three-periodic minimal surface scaffold. This viable biomaterial exhibited a capacity to support cell proliferation and tissue regeneration in a rat model of femoral defect.