Reviews & Analysis

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  • Hydrogels are being explored and clinically applied for a variety of biomedical and clinical applications. This Review outlines a model-based modular hydrogel design framework that is application-driven and considers clinical translation early in the design process, emphasizing the importance of fundamental modelling and standardized design.

    • Nathan Richbourg
    • Marissa E. Wechsler
    • Nicholas A. Peppas
    Review Article
  • The application of nanoscale drug delivery systems by subcutaneous (SC) administration may circumvent disadvantages of other injections routes, such as intramuscular and intravenous administration. This Review discusses the design and clinical translation of nanoscale drug delivery systems for SC administration for the treatment of various conditions.

    • Lorenzo Tomasini
    • Marianne Ferrere
    • Julien Nicolas
    Review Article
  • Small-scale wireless soft robotic devices are promising tools for various medical applications. This Review outlines safety, navigation and functionality challenges, as well as the ethical and regulatory considerations that remain to be addressed for their clinical translation.

    • Tianlu Wang
    • Yingdan Wu
    • Metin Sitti
    Review Article
  • Traditional urinalysis relies on endogenous biomarkers, which have limited diagnostic sensitivity and specificity. This Review discusses molecular optical probes that interact with disease biomarkers in vivo and produce artificial urinary biomarkers, which are excreted into urine for remote urinalysis.

    • Cheng Xu
    • Kanyi Pu
    Review Article
  • Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are reshaping antibiotic discovery. In this Review, ML approaches that have been and can be used to address issues hindering antimicrobial peptide identification and development are surveyed.

    • Fangping Wan
    • Felix Wong
    • Cesar de la Fuente-Nunez
    Review Article
  • Mechanoneural interfaces combine surgically modified soft tissues and artificial components to enhance peripheral neural signalling for the reconstruction of bionic limbs. This Review discusses different mechanoneural interface architectures and presents preclinical and clinical evidence of their afferent and efferent properties.

    • Tony Shu
    • Guillermo Herrera-Arcos
    • Hugh M. Herr
    Review Article
  • The mechanisms of nanoparticle delivery to solid tumours guide the engineering of nanoparticles for cancer applications. This Review discusses two contrasting nanoparticle delivery mechanisms, the enhanced permeability and retention effect and the active transport and retention principle, and their implications for the design of cancer nanomedicines.

    • Luan N. M. Nguyen
    • Wayne Ngo
    • Warren C. W. Chan
    Review Article
  • This Review discusses how biomaterials might enhance the production and delivery of adoptive cell therapies for cancer and other diseases. Eckman et al. emphasize fundamental material and biochemical properties that enable the development of timely, safe and effective therapies.

    • Noah Eckman
    • Anahita Nejatfard
    • Eric A. Appel
    Review Article
  • Fibrotic disease can affect almost all organs, and only few therapies currently exist for the treatment of fibrosis. This Review discusses the contribution of mechanical forces to the onset and progression of fibrosis, highlighting distinct mechanotransduction mechanisms as well as engineered models and therapeutic approaches targeting mechanotransduction pathways for the investigation and treatment of fibrosis, respectively.

    • Shamik Mascharak
    • Jason L. Guo
    • Michael T. Longaker
    Review Article
  • Bioplastics are yet to replace commodity plastics. In this Review, we address the barriers faced by bioplastics to obtaining standard labels and certificates and we propose pre-screening methods to optimize these processes. Challenges in production, consumption and disposal are also discussed.

    • Lam Tan Hao
    • Sungbin Ju
    • Jun Mo Koo
    Review Article
  • This Review focuses on several facets of synthetic peptide branched polymers including their synthesis, diversity, physicochemical properties and bacteria-killing mechanisms. The current challenges and future applications of synthetic peptide branched polymers in biomedical engineering are highlighted.

    • Sadegh Shabani
    • Sara Hadjigol
    • Greg G. Qiao
    Review Article
  • The ability to detect precancer at the point of care is important to reduce global inequities in cancer outcomes. This Review outlines how low-cost optical imaging technologies, slide-free microscopy and machine learning can improve imaging performance and provide real-time interpretation in settings with limited resources.

    • Rebecca Richards-Kortum
    • Cesaltina Lorenzoni
    • Kathleen Schmeler
    Review Article
  • Microneedle technologies for drug delivery and biosensing have progressed through the integration of material sciences, nanotechnologies and electronic devices. This Review discusses the development and clinical translation of microneedle biomedical devices.

    • Mengjia Zheng
    • Tao Sheng
    • Chenjie Xu
    Review Article
  • Metabolic engineering allows the design of microorganisms for the bioproduction of specific metabolites, such as value-added chemicals. This Review discusses autonomous dynamic regulation approaches, including metabolite-specific transcriptional regulation and non-specific systems using environmental factors, quorum sensing and growth-phase regulation.

    • Michael Ream
    • Kristala L. J. Prather
    Review Article
  • Controlling blood circulation, biodistribution and tissue accessibility of nanomedicines is key to their clinical translation. In this Review, bioengineering strategies to overcome gatekeeping barriers and promote the targeting, safety and efficacy of nanomedicines are discussed.

    • Horacio Cabral
    • Junjie Li
    • Kazunori Kataoka
    Review Article
  • Regenerative tissue engineering aims to functionally restore damaged tissues. This Review discusses how advances in single-cell RNA sequencing techniques and analysis methods can expand our understanding of tissue injury responses to inform the design of new regenerative biomaterials and therapeutics.

    • Anna Ruta
    • Kavita Krishnan
    • Jennifer H. Elisseeff
    Review Article
  • Fluid protein condensates are utilized as precursors in the production of high-performance biological fibres, adhesives and composites. This Review outlines the key role of condensates in the formation of several well-studied biological materials and highlights bioengineered materials with biomedical applications that draw inspiration from these archetypes.

    • Matthew J. Harrington
    • Raffaele Mezzenga
    • Ali Miserez
    Review Article
  • Vaccination and immune-regulation strategies are crucial for the prevention and treatment of respiratory infectious diseases. This Review discusses the design and optimization of nanomedicines for vaccines and immunotherapeutics for respiratory infectious diseases.

    • Yafang Xiao
    • Yuanyu Huang
    • Xing-Jie Liang
    Review Article
  • Microbial engineering can enable the development of cell factories that produce value-added chemicals from various feedstocks. This Review highlights recent efforts to engineer microorganisms for the utilization of various waste streams for sustainable bioproduction and presents state-of-the-art strategies that can accelerate the advancement towards a bio-based circular economy.

    • Nikhil Aggarwal
    • Hoang Long Pham
    • Matthew Wook Chang
    Review Article
  • The human microbiome plays a central role in health and disease. This Review discusses the design of human organ-on-a-chip platforms to model host–microbiome interactions in vitro and investigate microbiome-associated diseases as well as microbiome-mediated interventions.

    • Yong Cheol Shin
    • Nam Than
    • Hyun Jung Kim
    Review Article