Slow-release gel improved bone repair in aged mice
The gel increased the share of defect volume occupied by bone by 119% at four weeks in 20-month-old male mice.
Edited by Boris Djordjevic · AgingResearch.News
In an animal experiment, 20-month-old male C57BL/6 mice received gel implants in surgically created thighbone defects 1.2 millimeters across. The gel contained tiny porous silica particles carrying nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, a molecule involved in energy metabolism, plus a compound that stimulates its production. The researchers designed this combination to supply the molecule while supporting cells’ own production.
The gel released particles over 14 days. At four weeks, it increased bone volume fraction—the share of measured volume occupied by bone—by 119%. At day seven, the proportion of bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells showing senescence fell to 21.2%. These cells can develop into bone-forming cells. Senescence is a state in which cells stop dividing.
Why it matters
Age-related changes in cell metabolism are a target for efforts to support bone regeneration. The study addressed whether sustaining local metabolism could help aged bone repair itself.
Caveats
The experiments were neither randomized nor blinded. The bone-repair findings came from male mice; the supplied text does not report animal numbers or identify the comparator for the 119% increase.
The paper
National Natural Science Foundation of China; East China University of Science and Technology
Bioactive Materials, May 25, 2026, Open access
