Strontium-Incorporated Carbon Nitride Nanosheets Modulate Intracellular Tension for Reinforced Bone Regeneration

Strontium-containing agents have been demonstra-ted to elicit both bone anabolic and antiosteoporotic effects, showing great potential for the treatment of bone loss. However, an increased incidence of strontium-induced side effects restricts their clinical applications. Herein, oxidized carbon nitride nano-sheets (CN) are delicately used to incorporate Sr2+ for the first time to achieve high osteogenic efficacy. The lamellar structure and enriched nitrogen species of CN provide them with a high surface area-to-volume ratio and abundant anchoring sites for Sr2+ incorporation. Importantly, Sr2+-incorporated CN (CNS) could synergistically promote osteoblast differentiation and bone regeneration at a single, very low Sr2+ dose. Mechanically, CNS could activate the FAK/RhoA signaling pathway to modulate the intracellular tension that stimulates osteoblasts differentiation. The present study will provide a new paradigm to enhance the efficacy of metal ions lamellar nanocarriers.

Automated summary

This study demonstrates for the first time the incorporation of strontium ions onto oxidized carbon nitride nano-sheets to enhance osteogenic efficacy. The strontium-incorporated nano-sheets can promote osteoblast differentiation and bone regeneration at a low dose and modulate intracellular tension through the activation of the FAK/RhoA signaling pathway.