Chinese Traditional and Herbal Drugs•2026•DOI: 10.7501/j.issn.0253-2670.2026.16.20261612
Critical-sized bone defects (CSBD) remain a clinical bottleneck due to insufficient osteogenic drive and uncontrolled degradation of current grafts. This study evaluates a photocrosslinked hydrogel composed of cuttlebone (CB) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) for repairing 5 mm rat calvarial CSBD. SD rats were randomized into control, positive control (Bio-Oss® Collagen), BSA, 0.5% CB/BSA, 1.5% CB/BSA, and 3.0% CB/BSA groups (n=6). After 8 weeks, micro-CT revealed no new bone in controls, whereas all CB/BSA groups exhibited significant increases in bone volume fraction, bone mineral density, and trabecular thickness (P<0.05), with reduced bone surface-to-volume ratio (P<0.05). Histology confirmed new bone formation in hydrogel groups versus loose fibrous tissue in controls. Immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence showed elevated COL1A1, PECAM-1, and OCN expression (P<0.05). qRT-PCR and Western blotting demonstrated upregulation of WNT3A, β-catenin, VEGFA, COL1A1, PECAM-1, and OCN (P<0.05). The 3.0% CB/BSA group exhibited the most pronounced osteogenic effect. Blood routine and serum liver/kidney function tests showed no abnormalities, and major organs displayed no inflammation, necrosis, or fibrosis. These findings indicate that CB/BSA photocrosslinked hydrogel promotes bone repair with favorable in vivo safety, likely through activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research•2026•DOI: 10.12307/2026.21359
BACKGROUND: Breast cancer organoids, as a novel in vitro model, can not only simulate the biological characteristics of breast cancer but also to some extent reproduce the impact of the tumor microenvironment on the tumor, facilitating research on breast cancer and further promoting precision medicine. OBJECTIVE: To review the application status of breast cancer organoids in the field of therapeutic drugs, including chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy, over the past few years, and to discuss the existing limitations in order to further promote their application in breast cancer treatment. METHODS: The first author conducted a search in the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and PubMed databases in June 2025 for relevant literature published from January 2010 to June 2025. Chinese search terms included '类器官，乳腺类器官，乳腺癌类器官，乳腺癌模型实验验证，精准治疗，靶向治疗，化疗，免疫治疗，药物敏感性'; English search terms included 'organoid, breast organoid, breast cancer organoid, breast cancer experimental model, precision medicine, targeted therapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, drug sensitivity'. A total of 58 articles were included for review. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) Compared with traditional breast cancer cell experiments, which lack verification of tissue structure and cell-cell interactions as well as in vivo microenvironment, breast cancer organoids have diverse sources of primary tumor cells and continuously innovating culture systems. They can simulate cell-cell interactions and reproduce the biological characteristics of breast cancer and its tumor microenvironment, making breast cancer organoids one of the most promising tools in breast cancer research. This also provides greater potential for improving treatment resistance in clinical breast cancer patients through drug sensitivity screening. (2) The application of drug sensitivity test results from breast cancer organoids in clinical practice has yielded promising outcomes. By testing drug sensitivity in breast cancer organoids to common chemotherapeutic agents, targeted drugs, and immunotherapeutic drugs, the antitumor mechanisms and synergistic effects of multiple drugs can be verified, avoiding the use of drugs with primary resistance and high toxicity in patients, thereby enabling personalized treatment plans and evidence-based precision medicine strategies. (3) Breast cancer organoids still have limitations in practical applications such as drug screening and treatment, including low model construction success rates, difficulty in model growth, and lack of angiogenesis processes. To overcome these limitations, it is necessary to increase the source tissue volume, improve the culture system, and innovate culture techniques, which will facilitate comprehensive therapeutic drug selection through breast cancer organoids and aid in personalized precision medicine.