3D-Printed Antler-Inspired Porous Interfaces Loaded with Deer Antler-Derived Bioactive Substances for Enhanced Implant Osseointegration

Long-term stability of bone implants relies on rapid and robust osseointegration, whereas conventional metallic implant surfaces exhibit limited bioactivity and are often insufficient to effectively promote bone ingrowth and interfacial osteogenesis. Deer antler, the only mammalian bony organ capable of periodic regeneration, possesses a distinctive porous structure and a highly active regenerative microenvironment, providing a natural template for the biomimetic design of bone implant interfaces. We systematically characterized the structural features of antler pores and reproduced these features through parametric design to construct antler-inspired porous titanium alloy interfaces. Osteogenic bioactive substances derived from deer antler, including velvet antler peptide and engineered decellularized antler extracellular matrix, were further incorporated onto the implant surface to improve the local osteogenic microenvironment, promote osteoblast adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation, and enhance peri-implant new bone formation and osseointegration. By integrating the characteristic porous architecture of deer antler with VAP and decellularized extracellular matrix, this study recreated key features of the antler osteogenic microenvironment on titanium alloy implant surfaces through combined structural and compositional biomimicry, providing a new strategy for implant interface optimization and enhanced osseointegration.

Jincheng Wang, MD, Chief Physician, PhD Supervisor, and Leading Professor of the “Tang Aoqing Scholar” Program at Jilin University, has received numerous prestigious honors, including the National Advanced Worker in the Health and Family Planning System and the National Outstanding Young and Middle-aged Expert with Significant Contributions awarded by the Ministry of Health of China. He currently serves as President of the Orthopaedic Hospital of the Second Hospital of Jilin University and Director of the Jilin Provincial Institute of Orthopaedics. In terms of academic service, Professor Wang is a Standing Committee Member of the Orthopaedic Surgeons Branch of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association, a Founding Member of the Chinese Knee Society, and a Standing Committee Member of the Chinese Society for Biomaterials, among other professional appointments. His primary research focuses on “the diagnosis, treatment, and translational application of complex bone and joint disorders based on digital biomimetic technologies” and “the development and application of deer antler-derived biomaterials.” He has published more than 100 peer-reviewed articles in leading journals in medicine and interdisciplinary fields of bioengineering and materials science. He holds 22 national invention patents and over 50 utility model patents.Professor Wang has led or participated in more than 20 national and provincial-level research projects, including the National Major Disease Multidisciplinary Collaborative Diagnosis and Treatment Capacity Building Project, National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) Regional Joint Key Projects, and NSFC General Program Projects.