CoFe2O4/MXene nanosheets modified hydrogel on PEEK with phototherapeutic and GPx-Mimetic activities for anti-pathogens in infectious bone defect repairment

Polyetheretherketone (PEEK), as a promising alternative for hard tissue implant, still has limitations in anti-pathogens for coping with the clinical challenge. To reverse this situation, CoFe2O4/MXene nanosheets modified hydrogel was spin-coated on PEEK mediated by polydopamine to endow PEEK with favorable anti-bacterial activity. The modified PEEK implant exhibits the property of photothermal therapy (PTT) for local heat, photodynamic therapy (PDT), and chemodynamic therapy (CDT) for reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation to realize robust anti-pathogens. The antibacterial effect can be further enhanced by glutathione (GSH) consumption owing to the glutathione peroxides (GPx)-mimetic activity of CM2. In addition, we investigated the specific effects of the designed materials on bacteria, and the experimental results showed that constructed CM2 can lead to the DNA and protein of bacterial leakage and ATP synthesis decreased, ultimately eliminating more than 99% of bacteria. Furthermore, the sample exhibits favorable blood and cell compatibility with broad prospects in clinical application. Overall, a hydrogel coating-PEEK system with robust antibacterial properties has been manufactured in our work, which can not only exhibit compatibility, but also effectively avoid implant-related infection, which shows great promise for infectious bone defect repairment.