Joule-Assisted Nanotherapeutic Urethral Stent (JANUS) for Spatiotemporal Theragenerative Treatment of Urethral Strictures

Abstract

Urethral strictures caused by injury, infection, or inflammation present significant clinical challenges, often leading to severe complications such as kidney failure and infertility. A novel spatiotemporal theragenerative platform, the Joule-assisted nanotherapeutic urethral stent (JANUS), is designed in this study to treat urethral strictures and promote urothelial regeneration. This platform uses a biodegradable magnesium (Mg) alloy stent dual coated with thermoresponsive polycaprolactone (TRP) and sirolimus nanoparticles (nSRL). The dual-sided coating is optimized for distinct therapeutic and regenerative functions. External magnetic stimuli induce localized hyperthermia via Joule heating, facilitate a controlled nSRL release from the TRP coating, enhance bacterial ablation, and inhibit smooth muscle cell proliferation. Simultaneously, Mg ions released from the stent promote endothelial cell proliferation. JANUS demonstrates significant potential as an effective theragenerative platform, offering a balanced therapy and tissue regeneration approach in treating urethral strictures.