# <i>Achyranthes bidentata</i>-functionalized bone organoids enhance bone defect repair

Article · Lu C, Qin X, Lin Z, Han S, Ding P, Xu L, Zheng X, Hu B, Chen F, Wu D

- Archive id: doi:10.1016/j.mtbio.2026.103716
- Published: 2026-09-28
- Venue: Materials today. Bio
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtbio.2026.103716
- PMID: 42872030
- Citations: 0
- Source URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtbio.2026.103716
- Provenance: europepmc

## Abstract

Large bone defects remain difficult to reconstruct because impaired osteogenesis, dysregulated remodeling, and an unfavorable local microenvironment jointly limit durable healing. Here, we developed a translational strategy that integrates Achyranthes bidentata (AB), a traditional osteoactive botanical factor, into a BMSC-derived bone organoid platform to enhance bone regeneration. We first screened AB across a concentration gradient and identified 200 μg/mL as the selected working concentration for promoting BMSC viability, osteogenic differentiation, and matrix mineralization, whereas higher concentrations showed diminished benefit. We then incorporated AB into three-dimensional bone organoid culture to generate AB-bone organoids, which exhibited enhanced viability, increased alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and Alizarin Red S (ARS) staining, greater COL-I deposition, and stronger osteogenic marker expression than untreated bone organoids. Functionally, AB-bone organoids outperformed both conventional monolayer BMSCs and untreated organoids, indicating that AB establishes a more potent osteogenic niche within the organoid microenvironment. In a critical-sized calvarial defect model, implantation of AB-bone organoids significantly improved new bone formation, defect bridging, collagen matrix deposition, and osteogenic marker expression compared with untreated organoids or empty defects. As an exploratory clinical extension, we analyzed a retrospective postoperative tibial-fracture cohort and found that systemic oral AB administration was associated with shorter radiographic healing time, higher mRUST scores, lower pain, and better lower-extremity function. Together, this study identifies AB as an organoid-compatible osteoregenerative cue that functionally upgrades bone organoids and supports the translational potential of AB-based organoid engineering for bone repair.

_Abstract reproduced under CC-BY (article license as recorded by Europe PMC; abstract reproduced unmodified apart from markup removal)._

Topics: [Organoids & Organ-on-Chip](https://space-kitty.com/topics/organoids)

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