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Therapeutic nanoparticle and biomaterial systems can be specifically designed to deliver drugs for the treatment of women’s health-related conditions. This Review discusses the engineering and optimization of delivery technologies for women’s health applications, including vaginal infections, reproductive tract disorders, pregnancy conditions and congenital disorders.
Bioreactors enable the cultivation of mammalian cells in a closely monitored and controlled microenvironment. This Review discusses bioreactor technologies and closed-loop set-ups for producing patient-specific engineered-tissue grafts, including skin, small-diameter arteries and musculoskeletal tissues, with a particular focus on commercialization and regulatory considerations.
The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a key component of the stem-cell niche, and undergoes profound changes during ageing, affecting tissue mechanics and structure. Here, we argue that ECM alterations can be leveraged to engineer biomaterials to investigate age-mediated tissue dysfunction, and to design therapeutic strategies for age-related diseases.
Pancreatic islet transplantation stands to enable patients with type 1 diabetes to become insulin-independent. However, the number of islets required to achieve insulin independence is not yet well-defined and depends on the transplantation approach. Here, we contextualize a ‘rule of thumb’ estimate of the islet quantities required for transplantation, and discuss the estimate’s practical implications.
An article in Nature Nanotechnology reports a simple and eco-friendly approach to incorporate antimicrobial agents into cotton fabrics at the molecular level.
Electrochemical biosensors can be integrated into wearable, portable and implantable devices for health monitoring and disease diagnosis. This Review discusses the design and integration of different types of electrochemical biosensors for the detection of analytes related to health and disease, and outlines engineering challenges that need to be addressed to enable clinical translation of electrochemical biosensor-based point-of-care devices.
Ageing and cancer development are tightly interwoven processes. Here, we discuss preventing cancer by reducing or reverting epigenetic age. We provide an outline for how this can be achieved by targeting the mechanisms that drive DNA methylation clocks.
Bidirectional neuromorphic brain interfaces, based on interconnecting brain networks with artificial spiking neural networks, aim to optimize neural prostheses to help people with paralysis to regain autonomy. Their emergence questions the concept of human subjectivation, the continuous process by which we become and remain the subject of our life.
Current methods for the genetic manipulation of plants have low throughput and are amenable to a limited range of species. This Review discusses advances in the development of nanotechnology tools and the understanding of structure–function relationships to overcome these issues.
Cytokines are key regulators of the immune system and can be recombinantly designed as therapeutics for immune-related disorders. However, the severe toxicity of recombinant cytokines limits their clinical translation. In this Review, the authors highlight bioengineering approaches for the design of clinically applicable and safe cytokine-based therapeutics.
Developing point-of-care devices for the detection of pathogenic bacteria is essential to prevent and treat infections and to provide food security. This Review highlights paper-based analytical devices with substantial point-of-care applicability for bacteria detection and discusses challenges and opportunities for future development.
The performance of chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR T) cell products after adoptive transfers is influenced by the phenotype of the CAR T cells at time of transfer. Here, the authors review strategies to modulate these phenotypes during CAR T cell manufacturing to improve their antitumour performance.
Micro- and nanorobots hold great potential to overcome brain barriers for the treatment of brain diseases. They can be delivered to the brain by local injection, intranasal application, or systemic administration. Combining active propulsion with biological and chemical approaches or external physical stimuli can improve brain targeting.
Tissues of the central nervous system (CNS) can be functionally modelled using cell biology-based and engineering-based strategies to allow the study of CNS mechanisms, function and pathology in vitro. This Review discusses the design of bioengineered CNS models, highlighting how customizable tissues can enable a mechanistic deconvolution of complex CNS functions.
Nanotechnology has become a key player in bioengineering, providing control and functions of bioengineered systems at the scale of cells and biomolecules.
Micro- and nanorobots hold great promise for next-generation water-remediation applications. This Review discusses the development of intelligent micro- and nanoscale systems for the removal and degradation of water contaminants and the challenges toward their practical application.
In a multilinguistic science learning environment, science educators should rely on effective pedagogies to teach students with different mother languages and socio-cultural backgrounds. Institutes that invest in bias awareness training for students and instructors will help to create an inclusive learning environment. This can be achieved by opening science classrooms to social science researchers who can inform the development of a signature pedagogy of science.
Fluorescence imaging-guided surgery enables tumour resection with high precision, while preventing injury of healthy tissues. This Review discusses the clinical application and preclinical development of intraoperative fluorescence imaging probes and imaging equipment, including artificial intelligence algorithms.
An article in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America reports a bioengineered probiotic for the oral delivery of a peptide to treat rheumatoid arthritis.
