Xiangwei Li

Dr. Xiangwei Li

orcid

Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

2Years (2025-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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25 September 2025 in Materials Today Bio
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
XLXiaoxiao Li
Xiaoxiao Li
XLXiangwei Li
Xiangwei Li
DZDandan Zhou
Dandan Zhou
YXYanqin Xu
Yanqin Xu
BSBiemin Sun
Biemin Sun
YWYiyang Wang
Yiyang Wang
Degenerative disc disease (DDD), characterized by the pathological deterioration of nucleus pulposus (NP) tissue, affects millions globally. Tissue engineering strategies offer potential to create tissue-engineered NP (TE-NP) analogs to address DDD. However, traditional "top-down' approaches face challenges in achieving uniform cell distribution and replicating the intradiscal extracellular matrix (ECM) environment. In contrast, a "bottom-up' strategy utilizing microscale seed units represents a promising alternative. This study introduces an innovative "bottom-up' approach for constructing TE-NP, leveraging bioreactor-cultivated NP microtissues (NP-MTs) as seed units and a novel methacrylate-modified decellularized nucleus pulposus matrix (DNPM-MA) hydrogel as a supporting biomaterial. NP-MTs cultivated under low-magnitude hydrostatic pressure exhibit nascent ECM surroundings adapting well to the intradiscal microenvironment. The DNPM-MA hydrogel, with its compositional and mechanical attributes, supports the growth, migration, proliferation, and ECM synthesis of NP-MTs, making it an ideal biomaterial for long-term cultivation. The combination of NP-MTs and the DNPM-MA hydrogel yielded superior tissue regeneration outcomes both in vitro and in vivo. Transcriptome and molecular assessments revealed a correlation between the biological properties of the DNPM-MA hydrogel and the attenuation of inflammaging within encapsulated NP-MTs. Overall, this innovative "bottom-up' constructed TE-NP exhibits superior regenerative potential and is a promising tissue engineering strategy for treating DDD.