Despite the growing digitalisation of collective engagement activities, how older adults integrate everyday digital technologies into these engagement routines remains poorly understood – particularly in the context of life-course factors and daily lived experiences. This study examines the lived experiences and life-course contexts informing older adults' use of digital technologies for collective engagement. Employing a mixed-methods approach (policy stakeholder interviews; a national survey of 464 older retirement association members; 40 in-depth follow-up interviews; a participatory research translation forum), the study considers engagement across three spheres: social participation, information access, and advocacy. The findings demonstrate a multifaceted interplay between digital technology and collective engagement amongst older adults. While overall technology adoption rates amongst older participants are high, significant variations exist in usage patterns and comfort levels based on individual digital proficiency. The study identifies five key determinants influencing technology use for collective activities: lifelong development and engagement trajectories; geographies of engagement; social relationships; structural exclusion and ageism; and attitudes located on a continuum of acceptance and resistance. The research highlights that the transition to collective forms of digital engagement for older people is advancing at different rates for various groups. The study argues that the digital divide in later life originates in the conditions around older adults rather than in their capabilities, and that extending access does little where those conditions are unchanged. It calls for a digital transition that invests in these conditions to support agency in collective engagement, whether digitally mediated or not.
This article reads Syrian poet Mamdouh Adwan's 2000 poem Alayka Tataki’ al-Hayah [On You Life Relies], first published in Damascus, Syria, as a cultural text about masculine aging, paternal authority, and embodied vulnerability. It argues that the poem's repeated figure of khiyanat al-jasad [the body's betrayals] does more than aestheticize bodily frailty. Through second-person address, negative anaphora, free-verse fragmentation, and the recurring imperative “die, my father,” the poem theorizes old age as a crisis of recognition in which a father once imagined as a sovereign household body is remade through tremor, faltering speech, impaired vision, worn-out memory, dependence, and family laughter. Bringing cultural gerontology into dialogue with embodiment theory, aging masculinity studies, disability studies, modern Arabic poetry scholarship, and work on Arab kinship and intergenerational care, the article shows that the poem's crisis lies less in aging itself than in a model of paternal masculinity that cannot accommodate dependence without shame. The article contributes to aging studies by developing the concepts of humiliated embodiment and paternal unmaking, by challenging both decline and successful-aging narratives, and by arguing for modern Arabic poetry as a form of gerontological knowledge production.
Jenna Butler's Wells (2012) is a collection of poetry in which the poet mourns the loss of her grandmother, a life-long birdwatcher who can still recognize the familiar calls of birds that she is no longer able to name due to cognitive issues associated with dementia. Treating this scenario as one that invites interpretation from a posthuman perspective, this paper conducts a close analysis that is situated at the intersection of age studies and animal studies and highlights the possibilities and the perils of linking these two fields of inquiry. Balanced on the divide between animalizing people with dementia and subordinating non-human animals to the role of backdrop to expressions of human grief, Butler's poems navigate these twinned risks through a poetry that is ornithologically alert to bird vocalizations, behaviours, and habitats. The poet's attentiveness to birds as birds resists the transcendent, anthropocentric consolations that elegy traditionally affords; at the same time, it also enables the poet to locate the persistence of her grandmother's subjectivity in her aural recognition of bird sounds, to affirm a continuing selfhood that is maintained through interaction with the more-than-human world. Butler's poems imagine dementia through a multi-species lens that frames it, not as a catastrophic loss of humanity, but as an example of the embodied vulnerability that defines human and non-human animals alike.
Globally, one in two people discriminates against older adults. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this issue, as evidenced by the increase in ageist hate speech in social media, highlighting the urgent need to combat ageism also in digital spaces. To identify effective online interventions against ageism and hate speech, this study compares three intervention methods: 1) exposure to counter-stereotypical traits, 2) perspective taking, and 3) implementation intention, focusing on their differences in targeting explicit or implicit ageist biases. In an online experiment with a one factor between-subjects design, participants (N = 184) performed one of the three intervention tasks or a control task, followed by assessments of implicit and explicit ageism. Implicit ageism was measured using an Implicit Association Test (IAT; N = 174), which tested the association of old and young faces with age-related hate speech and friendly comments. The study also examined how aging anxiety as a moderator and other potential influencing factors, such as contact with older adults, affected the effectiveness of these interventions. The results show that perspective taking was the only intervention that significantly reduced explicit stereotypes, whereas none of the brief interventions shifted implicit ageism. Aging anxiety did not moderate the effectiveness of the interventions, but it did predict explicit ageism. In summary, this study delineates the conditions under which scalable, brief interventions prove effective within gerontological contexts, while indicating that implicit bias may require more sustained or repeated efforts.
Background and objectives Living in supported housing influences how older adults engage in daily occupations, including how they use technology. The aim of this research was to explore experiences of daily occupations and technology use among older adults living in supported housing. Research design and methods An ethnographic methodological approach was applied, using reflexive thematic analysis across the dataset. Thirteen interviews, one focus group and ten observations were undertaken across two pseudonymised supported housing sites in the United Kingdom. Data consisted of transcribed interviews and focus group discussion, alongside researcher fieldnotes recorded using an observational framework. Findings Three themes and seven subthemes were identified. Theme one, Navigating the safety-autonomy paradox in supported housing, included two subthemes: Judgement and unspoken rules, and Fears heightened by lived experience. Theme two, Social dynamics and community in supported housing, included three subthemes: Family and friends, gatekeepers and bridges; The housekeeper, a consistent link; and Belonging through seeking like-minded others. Theme three, The evolving nature of technology, included two subthemes: A lifetime of change, and Navigating challenges and support. Discussion and implications Wide-ranging opportunities and challenges associated with technology use to support meaningful occupations were identified. The findings have implications for policy and practice, particularly in relation to residents' access to technology, digital support, safeguarding, and fraud awareness. Occupational therapists may have an important role in supported housing by supporting technology use that enhances residents' engagement in meaningful occupations.
Xenogeneic scaffolds derived from porcine skin offer a promising alternative due to their structural and biochemical similarities to human skin. However, current decellularization strategies compromise extracellular matrix (ECM) integrity, porosity, or mechanical performance, limiting applicability. Here, we developed a decellularized porcine matrix (DEPOMA) scaffold using an ultrasound-assisted low-detergent strategy designed to achieve effective cellular removal while preserving ECM architecture. Specifically, we focused on combining ultrasonication, hypertonic/hypotonic treatments, and reduced Triton X-100 exposure. Our protocol effectively removed cellular components with over 99% deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) removal, while preserving key basement membrane and dermal proteins, as seen by quantitative immunohistochemistry (IHC) demonstrating 76% Laminin, approximately 66% Collagen IV, and 889% Elastin retention relative to native tissue. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) demostrated that DEPOMA maintained native dermal ultrastructure with enhanced and uniformly distributed porosity, quantified using DIGIMIZER image analysis. Uniaxial tensile testing on DEPOMA demonstrated preserved mechanical properties comparable to native skin. The DEPOMA scaffold demonstrated markedly enhanced biocompatibility, supporting a 3.4-fold increase in primary human fibroblast metabolic activity compared to controls. In a porcine full-thickness ex vivo wound model, DEPOMA showed progressive host-derived cellular infiltration reaching a penetration depth of 147 µm after 21 days, consistent with active scaffold integration and remodeling. When benchmarked against a detergent-based decellularized scaffold and a commercial dermal regeneration template, DEPOMA exhibited significantly improved cell viability and proliferative capacity. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that ultrasound-assisted low-detergent decellularization enables superior ECM preservation, structural integrity, and biological performance, supporting DEPOMA as a translationally optimized dermal scaffold for wound healing and regenerative medicine applications.
Background Peri-implantitis management remains an evolving field, and no gold standard treatment exists. Although oxygen-based agents show promise in periodontal therapy, there’s limited data on their use in peri-implantitis. This study is aimed at evaluating the antimicrobial activity of an Oxygen-rich fluid (ORF) against titanium surface infected with peri-implant colonizing bacteria, namely, Escherichia coli ( E. coli ) and Staphylococcus aureus ( S. aureus ). Materials and Methods Titanium discs inoculated with E. coli or S. aureus were assigned to 100% ORF, ORF at its MIC, 0.2% chlorhexidine (CHX) as a positive control, or broth as a negative control. Discs were exposed to 1 mL of the assigned solution for 1 min, then assessed for viable bacteria by colony-forming units (CFU) and biofilm adhesion by crystal violet staining (OD600). Surface morphology was examined by field-emission scanning electron microscopy. Results ORF showed a downward trend in bacterial load and biofilm adhesion on Ti discs against both E. coli and S. aureus . CHX produced the greatest reduction, while 100% ORF showed an intermediate effect and MIC ORF the least reduction. However, after post hoc analysis, only the CHX vs control comparison remained statistically significant (p< 0.002). FE-SEM images showing clear membrane disruption CHX and 100% ORF groups, while MIC ORF group exposure left more intact membrane boundaries. Conclusion ORF showed a favorable trend in reducing E. coli and S. aureus bacterial counts and biofilm attachment on titanium surfaces, although CHX remained more effective.
This study evaluated the influence of different radiopacifying agents on the physical and biological properties of tricalcium silicate-based cement (TCS). Eight radiopacifiers—bismuth oxide (Bi 2 O 3 ), zirconium oxide (ZrO 2 ), calcium tungstate (CaWO 4 ), barium sulphate (BaSO 4 ), tantalum oxide (Ta 2 O 5 ), strontium fluoride (SrF 2 ), strontium titanate (SrTiO 3 ), and barium titanate (BaTiO 3 )—were incorporated into TCS, with pure TCS serving as the control. Setting time, compressive strength, radiopacity, discolouration, fluid uptake, porosity, solubility, bioactivity, calcium ion release, pH, and cytotoxicity were evaluated. Most radiopacifiers reduced the initial setting time and solubility without significantly affecting the final setting time, compressive strength at 7 and 28 days, bioactivity, or pH. All radiopacifiers increased radiopacity and calcium ion release, while also increasing fluid uptake and porosity. Certain radiopacifiers were associated with increased cytotoxicity. Among the materials tested, BaTiO 3 achieved the highest composite score. In contrast, CaWO 4 , BaSO 4 , ZrO 2 , SrTiO 3 , SrF 2 , and Ta 2 O 5 demonstrated progressively inferior performance compared with pure TCS, with Bi 2 O 3 showing the least favourable outcome.
Even critical approaches in ageing and technology that aim at better inclusion of older people and their perspectives have shortcomings. In socio-gerontechnology research this can be seen as a reliance on the third age paradigm. Although concepts stemming from this paradigm, such as early adoption and innosumerism, have been useful in untangling ageism that is central to gerontechnology, they have simultaneously enforced the ideal of active ageing. This conceptual article incorporates the concept of ailment into socio-gerontechnology literature for a deeper understanding of gerontechnology. The article suggests that this integration can help in gaining a better understanding of agency, the market and needs in gerontechnology practices. Through this discussion, the paper paves the way for more inclusive research in the nexus of ageing, care and technology studies.
Bacterial biofilms provide survival mechanisms distinct from free-floating cells. An important mediator of biofilm formation in Escherichia coli ( E. coli ) is indole, which is formed by tryptophanase. In our study, E. coli biofilm formation was investigated in the context of removing indole production pathways, reducing indole production via a tryptophanase inhibitor (N-acetyl tryptophan), and by supplementing indole. We examined factors including indole production, the extent of biofilm generation, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation. Suppression of indole production by knockout of tryptophanase and by inhibitor-mediated reduction in tryptophanase activity both reduced biofilm formation in E. coli . In addition, there were indications that N-acetyl tryptophan could contribute to the anti-biofilm effect by affecting indole level and also the possibility of modulating ROS levels.
Clinical repair of critical-sized bone defects is currently hindered by the insufficient bioactivity of existing materials and mechanical property mismatches. This study aims to develop a 3D-printed graphene oxide (GO)/bioactive glass (BG)/bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) composite biomimetic scaffold that integrates structural support with biochemical induction. In this work, polycaprolactone-based scaffolds loaded with different gradients of GO (1, 5, 10 wt.%) were fabricated using 3D printing technology, and surface functionalization of BMP-2 was achieved through EDC/NHS coupling. The optimal composition (5% GO) was determined through electron microscopy and mechanical screening, and a rat proximal femoral penetrating defect model was established. Micro-CT, Masson staining, and molecular biology techniques (IHC/WB) were utilized to evaluate its multidimensional regulatory effects on bone regeneration. Results showed that the 5% GO/BG/BMP-2 scaffold exhibited excellent mechanical stability and an appropriate porous structure, with compressive strength and modulus superior to other formulations. Animal experiments confirmed that the bone mineral density (BMD) and bone volume fraction (BV/TV) of the GO/BG/BMP-2 group were significantly higher than those of other groups ( p < 0.001). At 4 weeks post-operation, the new bone area fraction reached 75.50% ± 3.17%, achieving high mineralization and functional remodeling of the bone tissue. Molecular mechanism studies indicated that the scaffold induces efficient osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells by strongly activating core signaling pathways such as BMP-2, RUNX2, and EGFR during the early stages of repair. In conclusion, the 5% GO/BG/BMP-2 composite scaffold possesses both precise mechanical support and powerful molecular regulatory capabilities, providing a highly promising biomimetic alternative for the clinical treatment of complex bone defects.
This paper outlines a critique of the use of post-humanist epistemologies in the study of age and ageing which we argue makes age more a matter of human imagination than of human mattering. The ‘decentring’ of what is human that is associated with post-humanism creates a set of phenomena that we feel obfuscates rather than illuminates the place of age and ageing in human life, human relations and human society. Applied to the study of ageing, post-humanism claims to establish a new materialist gerontology that challenges the ontological basis applied in most ageing studies. Both the species-being of humanity, the individual experience of age and ageing and the social relations in which the processes of ageing are embedded, are sidelined in favour of a view of ageing conceived as an entanglement of objects, organs and organisations. Rather than a human or social reality, age appears to dissolve into a complex, contingent set of networks and processes extending beyond the merely human. These post-humanist developments are seen as offering new and alternative perspectives to those associated with more conventional ageing studies, which have focused on change in the individual experience, cultural representations and social relations of ageing. Such post-humanist epistemological frameworks, we suggest, risk acting as a set of mirrors through which age is endlessly refracted. In the process, age and ageing lose much of their human understandability to become a seemingly infinite flux of diffusely distributed, and ultimately directionless quasi-vitalities.
As global aging accelerates alongside intensifying climate disruptions, older adults face growing exposure to extreme weather events that threaten their health and well-being. Yet, the experiences of racialized older adults, categorized as those who are non-White or non-Indigenous who often inhabit the intersection of social and ecological shaped by social marginalization, economic disadvantage, and other factors remain insufficiently understood. Guided by an Intersectional Climate Justice lens, this scoping review examined how racialized older adults across diverse contexts experience and respond to climate change-related weather emergencies. Using Arksey and O'Malley's approach, searches across 13 databases yielded 28 studies, most involving communitydwelling older adults. Findings show that racialized older adults face layered vulnerabilities shaped by agerelated decline, chronic conditions, low income, limited education, and inadequate housing. These factors, combined with neighborhood disadvantage and environmental exposures, produce profound personal, psychosocial, and health impacts. The review highlights the need for equity-centered climate preparedness grounded in community resilience, care ethics, place-based practices, and meaningful participation of this group in environmental decision-making.
This study aimed to develop a novel hemostatic dressing capable of exerting pressure-assisted hemostasis, promoting platelet aggregation, and enhancing the absorption of blood and tissue exudates. The Alginate/calcium chloride (Alg/CaCl 2 ) dressing was fabricated by crosslinking sodium alginate with calcium chloride, resulting in the formation of a stable gel network, which was subsequently freeze-dried to obtain a porous structure. In vitro evaluations were performed using L929 mouse fibroblasts to assess cytotoxicity, platelet aggregation, and platelet activation. The biosafety of the dressing was further examined using a rabbit skin irritation model following both topical application and subcutaneous injection. In addition, the pressure-assisted hemostatic effect of the dressing was evaluated using a customized compression device incorporating the Alg/CaCl 2 dressing. The results demonstrated that the Alg/CaCl 2 dressing promoted platelet aggregation and activation while exhibiting minimal cytotoxicity at most tested concentrations, indicating favorable biocompatibility. The dressing possessed a highly porous structure and excellent fluid absorption capacity. Furthermore, the sustained release of physiologically active calcium ions may facilitate platelet activation and fibrin formation, thereby accelerating the hemostatic process. In vivo assessments revealed no significant skin irritation or adverse tissue reactions following either topical application or subcutaneous injection, supporting its safety for biomedical applications. Moreover, compression testing in the animal model demonstrated that the Alg/CaCl 2 dressing generated greater compressive force than commercially available hemostatic products, contributing to enhanced pressure-assisted hemostasis.
The thermodynamic surface properties of biomaterials play a key role in governing interfacial interactions and are commonly characterized by surface free energy (SFE) and its components derived from wetting data. However, different theoretical approaches used for SFE determination may yield substantially different results, particularly for polar and high-energy surfaces. In this study, the total surface free energy and its components were systematically analyzed for a range of clinically relevant biomaterial surfaces, including titanium, gold, cobalt-chromium alloy, nano-hydroxyapatite, and amorphous Teflon, prepared as smooth thin films on glass substrates. Static contact angles with water, glycerol, ethylene glycol, and diiodomethane were measured to assess wettability and to calculate SFE using three commonly applied models: the Owens-Wendt-Rabel-Kaelble (geometric mean) approach, the Lifshitz-van der Waals/acid-base (LW-AB) approach, and the equation of state (EOS) approach. These models estimate total SFE as well as nonpolar, polar, and acid-base components, enabling a detailed comparison of model-dependent surface energetic data. The results show good agreement between the different approaches for low-energy, hydrophobic surfaces, whereas pronounced discrepancies occur for hydrophilic, high-energy materials, particularly in the calculated polar and acid-base contributions. While total SFE values were partly consistent across methods, the relative magnitudes of individual SFE components strongly depended on the applied theoretical model. Overall, this study highlights that SFE should not be considered an intrinsic material property but a model-dependent descriptor. Careful selection of the SFE calculation approach and cautious interpretation of SFE components are essential when using thermodynamic surface analysis to compare biomaterial surfaces or to relate surface energetics to interfacial phenomena such as biofilm formation.
Background Sonodynamic therapy (SDT) has emerged as a promising strategy for cancer treatment; however, its therapeutic efficacy is significantly limited by the hypoxic tumor microenvironment, particularly in breast cancer. To address this limitation, we developed a biomimetic nanoplatform capable of generating oxygen within the tumor microenvironment to enhance SDT performance. Methods Poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles were co-loaded with catalase and the sonosensitizer IR780 and subsequently coated with 4T1 cancer cell membranes (CIP@4T1m NPs). A series of in vitro and in vivo experiments were conducted to evaluate tumor-targeting capability, hypoxia alleviation, singlet oxygen ( 1 O 2 ) generation, antitumor efficacy, induction of immunogenic cell death (ICD), and activation of antitumor immune responses. Results The resulting CIP@4T1m NPs were successfully fabricated and exhibited preferential accumulation in 4T1 tumor cells and orthotopic 4T1 tumor-bearing mice. Both in vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated that the nanoplatform partially relieved tumor hypoxia and significantly enhanced SDT-mediated 1 O 2 production and antitumor effects. Moreover, CIP@4T1m NPs combined with ultrasound induced ICD-associated changes, promoted dendritic cell maturation, facilitated the polarization of tumor-associated macrophages from the M2 to M1 phenotype, reduced regulatory T cell populations, and increased intratumoral CD8 + T-cell infiltration. Conclusion This work describes a biomimetic nanoplatform that integrates homologous targeting with enzymatic oxygen generation to enhance SDT efficacy and promote antitumor immune responses in an orthotopic 4T1 breast cancer model. The proposed strategy offers a potential approach to mitigate hypoxia-associated limitations in cancer therapy.
Vibrations can have harmful effects on the human brain and are associated with neurological damage, cognitive impairments, and an increased risk of traumatic brain injuries (TBI). Exposure to low-frequency vibrations, such as those encountered in blast events, contact sports, and accidents, can induce resonance within the brain, potentially amplifying mechanical stress and strain on neural structures. To better understand these effects, this study examines the mechanical response of a cerebrum-shaped human brain simulant subjected to vertical vibrations within the 1-12 Hz frequency range. Using a full-scale biofidelic brain model fabricated from a multi-part polymeric material, experimental measurements and a simplified mathematical model were employed to analyse vibration transmissibility characteristics. The first resonance peak was observed between 4-4.2 Hz, aligning with previously reported frequency ranges. Regional variations in transmissibility were observed within the experimental model, with relatively higher transmissibility in the temporal region at approximately 8 Hz, while the left and right hemispheric regions exhibited resonance peaks at 2, 9, and 11 Hz, along with an intermediate anti-resonance feature. The absence of surrounding anatomical structures, such as the skull and cerebrospinal fluid, may contribute to the observed transmissibility levels. These findings provide baseline experimental data on the vibration response of a developed biofidelic brain model and contribute to the understanding of vibration transmissibility behavior in controlled laboratory settings. The developed model offers a repeatable experimental platform that may support future investigations into brain vibration dynamics and the progressive development of more anatomically and mechanically representative models for safety and injury biomechanics research.
Background/objective(s)/introduction: Tissue engineered scaffolds fabricated by 3D printing promises to enhance the success rate in alveolar bone augmentation. The aim of this study was to construct and characterize a 3D printed poly(ε-caprolactone; PCL) scaffolds treated with bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2) and carrying human gingival mesenchymal stem cells (hGMSCs) for potential use in the augmentation of alveolar bone. Materials and methods: PCL scaffolds with defined pore geometry were fabricated by 3D printing using fused deposition modeling (FDM) and treated with O 2 plasma to enhance BMP-2 and cell adhesion. The scaffolds were characterized by compression testing, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and water contact angle measurement. BMP-2 was bound to the surface, and hGMSCs from gingival connective tissue were seeded onto the scaffolds. BMP-2 was quantified by elisa. The cells were identified as stem cells based on their differentiation capacity and immunophenotypic profile. Osteogenic differentiation on BMP-2 bound scaffolds was assessed using alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and calcium deposition assays. Results: Compressive modulus of the PCL scaffolds (73.2 ± 17.1 MPa) was close to human alveolar bone (96.2 ± 40.6 MPa). SEM revealed a porous design with continuous struts, creating an average pore size of 400 µm and zig-zag channels suitable for cell infiltration and adhesion. O 2 plasma treatment decreased the water contact angle from 110° ± 4° to 59° ± 2°, indicating improved surface hydrophilicity. ELISA showed that over 98% of BMP-2 remained bound to the scaffold for 28 days, indicating prolonged growth factor presence during cell culture. Within the environment created, BMP-2 bound scaffolds led to a threefold increase in ALP activity and higher calcium deposition compared to controls, confirming enhanced osteogenic differentiation. Conclusion(s): 3D printed PCL scaffolds functionalized with BMP-2 and seeded with hGMSCs exhibited highly improved in vitro osteogenic properties which promises to improve alveolar bone augmentation results.
Background Chronic and extensive skin wounds remain a major clinical challenge requiring advanced regenerative strategies. Decellularized extracellular matrix scaffolds and platelet derivatives support tissue repair by providing essential structural and biological signals. This study evaluated decellularized camel small intestine submucosa (CSIS) alone or combined with platelet lysate (PL) for full-thickness skin wound healing in rats. Methods CSIS was prepared via detergent-based decellularization and characterized histologically and via DNA quantification. Following in vitro biocompatibility testing with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) using an MTT assay, 1.5 × 1.5 cm full-thickness dorsal wounds in male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to control, CSIS, PL, or CSIS+PL groups. Wound closure was tracked macroscopically on days 7, 14, and 21. Wound tissues were analyzed via histopathology, RT-qPCR for inflammatory genes ( CD68, CD28, IL-1, IL-6, TGF-β ), and ELISA for TNF-α and IL-17. Results Decellularization efficiently removed cellular components while preserving ECM architecture and supported good MSC viability. In vivo , all treated groups showed faster wound closure than control, with near-complete healing in the CSIS+PL group by day 21 (residual area: 1.02 ± 1.24 mm 2 vs. 33.55 ± 12.45 mm 2 in control, p < 0.05). Histology demonstrated thicker epidermis, more organized dermis, and reduced inflammatory infiltrate in CSIS and especially CSIS+PL wounds. At day 7, CSIS+PL significantly decreased mRNA levels of CD68 , CD28 , and IL-1 , moderately lowered IL-6 , and increased TGF-β compared with control. TNF-α and IL-17 protein levels in wound tissue were also significantly reduced (TNF-α: 4.7 ± 0.9 pg/mg; IL-17: 3.7 ± 0.5 pg/mg in CSIS+PL vs. control, p < 0.01). Conclusion CSIS is a biocompatible scaffold that supports skin regeneration, and its combination with PL enhances wound healing by modulating inflammation and promoting tissue remodeling. This strategy may represent a promising approach for the treatment of complex cutaneous defects.
