| Summary: | Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most common musculoskeletal disorders worldwide. Oxidative stress initiated by excessive free radicals such as reactive oxygen species (ROS) is a leading cause of cartilage degradation and OA. However, conventional injection or oral intake of antioxidants usually cannot provide effective treatment due to rapid clearance and degradation or low bioavailability. Here, a new strategy is proposed based on nanofibers made of poly (ε-caprolactone) (PCL) and PCL-grafted lignin (PCL-g-lignin) copolymer. Lignin offers intrinsic antioxidant activity while PCL tailors the mechanical properties. Electrospun PCL-lignin nanofibers show excellent antioxidant activity, low cytotoxicity and excellent anti-inflammatory effects as demonstrated using both H2O2-stimulated human chondrocytes and an OA rabbit model. PCL-lignin nanofibers inhibit ROS generation and activate antioxidant enzymes through autophagic mechanism. Arthroscopic implantation of nanofibrous membrane of PCL-lignin is effective to OA therapy because it is biocompatible, biodegradable and able to provide sustained antioxidant activity.
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