Injectable self-healing hydrogel loaded PLGA nanoparticles for long-term osteoarthritis therapy.

This study focuses on an injectable hydrogel for osteoarthritis (OA) therapy. We developed a reactive oxygen species (ROS)/pH-responsive self-healing hydrogel loaded with icariin-PLGA nanoparticles (ICA NPs-HG), demonstrating >30-day joint retention, synergistic ROS scavenging via ICA-borate bond interactions, and dual anti-inflammatory and antioxidative therapeutic effects in vivo. This system, based on a borate/diol cross-linked network, addresses the challenge of hydrogel damage under mechanical force and offers significant potential for OA treatment.