Biodegradable metabotissugenic citrate-based polymer derived self-sealing pro-regenerative membrane for tendon anti-biofouling and repair.

Tendon stem/progenitor cells (TSPCs) are crucial for intrinsic regeneration of injured tendons which consume a substantial amount of energy relying on the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. Citric acid, the key substrate of the TCA cycle, emerges as a promising candidate for regulating energy metabolism. However, sustainable methods in providing energy metabolic substrates across the whole regenerating process has been neglected. Herein, a metabotissugenic membrane consisting of poly(octamethylene citrate) and L-lysine diisocyanate, POCL(10), was developed to consistently biodegrade and provide citrate substrates. Furthermore, the POCL(10) membrane exhibited self-sealing properties due to the introduction of strong hydrogen bonds and demonstrated anti-biofouling capacity in vitro. Intriguingly, POCL(10) showed excellent regenerative capability by promptly upregulating TSPC proliferation, energy metabolism and differentiation. In vivo, POCL(10) was effortlessly wrapped around the injured Achilles tendon showcasing with anti-tissue adhesion and prominent collagen organization along with strengthened biomechanical properties. Hence, the development of POCL expands the reservoir of available biodegradable citrate-based biomaterials and provides a unique metabotissugenic biomaterial platform for tendon anti-biofouling and repair.