Abstract

Bone defects caused by trauma, infection, or tumor resection remain difficult to treat because successful repair requires both structural restoration and control of the local pathological microenvironment. Osteolysis, defined as pathological bone resorption, is central to many of these conditions and is commonly driven by excessive osteoclast activity. Clinically translated injectable products such as NovaBone® Putty demonstrate the value of moldable bioactiveglass grafts for defect filling; however, conventional silicate bioactive glasses are permanent and provide limited therapeutic ion release. This limitation has motivated the development of injectable borate bioactive glass (B-BGs) and injectable borosilicate bioactive glass (BS-BG) systems as more degradable, ion-releasing platforms for hard-tissue regeneration. Early borate/chitosan cements showed injectability, apatite formation, and bone-regenerative potential, but rapid boron release raised concerns regarding biological safety. SrO incorporations was therefore introduced to moderate dissolution while enhancing osteogenesis. Because vascularization is also essential for defect repair, subsequent systems targeted vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling either through direct VEGF delivery or indirect Cu-mediated VEGF upregulation. For osteomyelitis, where bacterial infection accelerates bone destruction, B-BG/BS-BG cements have been loaded with vancomycin or gentamicin to provide localized antibiotic release after debridement. Magnetothermal systems further expand this approach by incorporating magnetic nanoparticles that generate heat under an alternating magnetic field to disrupt bacteria or ablate tumor cells. In osteosarcoma, B-BG/BS-BG platforms offer combined bone regeneration and local therapy through magnetic hyperthermia, metal-containing adhesives, and dual hyperthermia/chemotherapy systems incorporating doxorubicin. Overall, these systems show promise but require stricter release control, safety validation, and mechanical durability assessment.

Department(s)

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering

Publication Status

Open Access

Keywords and Phrases

Bone regeneration; Borate glass; Injectable biomaterials; Osteomyelitis; Osteosarcoma

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

2666-1381

Document Type

Article - Journal

Document Version

Citation

File Type

text

Language(s)

English

Rights

© 2026 The Authors, All rights reserved.

Creative Commons Licensing

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Publication Date

01 Jan 2026

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