AccScience Publishing / IJB / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/IJB025290296
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RESEARCH ARTICLE

3D-printed aerogel scaffolds with sodium para-aminosalicylate-encapsulated liposomes for intelligent drug delivery

Kefeng Wang1† ,  Yutong Chen1,2† ,  Yan Xu1* ,  Subramanian Sundarrajan2 ,  Zhitao Yin1 ,  Jingtao Hu1 ,  Jian Chao1 ,  Shun Zhang1 ,  Miaomiao Zheng1 ,  Seeram Ramakrishna2*
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1 School of Mechanical Engineering, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China
2 Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Design and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore
†These authors contributed equally to this work.
IJB, 025290296 https://doi.org/10.36922/IJB025290296
Received: 18 July 2025 | Accepted: 3 September 2025 | Published online: 9 September 2025
© 2025 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
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Abstract

Uncontrollable local drug release from drug-loaded scaffolds is a critical challenge in treating bone tuberculosis (BTB), often leading to bacterial resistance and treatment failure. This study proposes an intelligent composite aerogel scaffold that integrates external stimulus response, sustained-release, and structural design. Using direct ink writing and freeze-drying, we integrated sodium para-aminosalicylate-encapsulated liposomes and silk fibroin-modified superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles into a hydroxyapatite scaffold, thereby constructing an aerogel scaffold with an extracellular matrix-like structure and controlled-release capacity. The incorporation of liposomes significantly suppressed drug burst release and extended the effective drug release period to 336 h. Furthermore, under remote, non-invasive triggering by an external alternating magnetic field, the scaffold maintained a stable local temperature at 42°C. This enabled an accelerated, on-demand release of the drug, overcoming the limitations of uncontrolled delivery. By combining precise three-dimensional printing, liposome-based sustained release, and dynamic magnetic regulation, the intelligent scaffold offers a promising new strategy for personalized treatment of BTB.  

Graphical abstract
Keywords
Aerogel
Bone tuberculosis
Drug release
Liposome
Magnetic thermal response
Three-dimensional printing
Funding
This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (52365053), the Excellent Doctoral Graduate Innovation Project of Xinjiang University, China (XJU2024BS101), and the China Scholarship Council (202407010013).
Conflict of interest
The authors declare they have no competing interests.
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International Journal of Bioprinting, Electronic ISSN: 2424-8002 Print ISSN: 2424-7723, Published by AccScience Publishing
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