Reviews & Analysis

Mathematical modelling provides a means of understanding cancer evolution and optimizing cancer treatment response. This Review outlines different computational methods of modelling cancer treatment response and identifying optimal treatment strategies.

The advent of portable, low-field MRI is transforming clinical brain imaging. This Review discusses the bioengineering advances that have enabled scanning outside the controlled environment of conventional MRI suites, enhancing access to neuroimaging. Ongoing development and innovation will increase the real-world application of MRI.

Heterogeneity constitutes a critical barrier to treating cancer. This Review discusses the biological and physical sources of heterogeneity across length scales, encompassing tumour-cell-intrinsic, tissue-microenvironment and organism-level sources, and how engineering strategies can improve our understanding of these phenomena.

Combining the benefits of nanoparticle carriers and prodrugs can improve drug delivery efficiency. This Review discusses the design of lipid–prodrug nanomedicines with self-assembly properties for modulating drug release, reducing drug metabolism, and improving the pharmacokinetics and biodistribution for the treatment of severe diseases.

Microbial production of food and cosmetics is a promising technology with which to obtain sustainable and environmentally friendly compounds. This Review discusses the production of food and cosmetic compounds using metabolically engineered microorganisms and the systems metabolic engineering strategies that can be used to develop industrially competitive microbial strains and processes.

Single-cell multi-omics analysis allows spatial tissue profiling at the cellular and subcellular level. This Review discusses microchip-based platforms that can be designed for single-cell and spatial multi-omics for applications in biological and biomedical research.

Chemiluminescence imaging can be applied for the in vivo and in vitro assessment of biological activity. This Review discusses the design, mode of action and application of chemiluminescent probes for the detection of the activity and presence of enzymes and analytes in cancerous tissue.

The role of the gut microbiome in human health and disease is being increasingly recognized. This Review discusses microbiome engineering strategies to treat the dysbiosis of the gut microbiota, which has been linked to the pathogenesis of multiple human diseases.

Cell co-culture can assist the fabrication process of cultured meat and improve the quality of the final product. This Review discusses relevant cell types and co-culture techniques, and examines their use for cultivated meat production.

Renal function can be replaced by bioengineered kidney tissue. This Review discusses in vivo kidney engineering, xenotransplantation, blastocyst complementation and stem-cell-derived kidney tissue engineering as approaches for renal replacement therapy.

Continuous monitoring of diverse biomolecular signatures has the potential to transform our understanding of personalized and preventative medicine. This Review Article discusses the emerging trends and pertinent considerations for the development of a new generation of body-based biomolecular sensors for in vivo measurement.

Owing to the high failure rates of the current drug development process, biomedical research is undergoing a paradigm shift towards approaches centred on human disease models. This Review critically discusses translationally relevant examples and defines key milestones for their widespread application.

Peptide epitopes of structural and signalling proteins constitute the language through which cells communicate and orchestrate biological processes. This Review provides a library of peptide epitopes that can serve as a molecular toolbox for the design of bioactive synthetic matrices.

The implementation or insertion of medical devices into the body can lead to infections and inflammation, which are often challenging to treat because of the presence of microbial biofilms and antimicrobial-resistant microorganisms. This Review outlines preclinical testing strategies for medical devices with antimicrobial properties to avoid and reduce medical-device-associated infections.

Neurological disorders or traumatic events that cause hand paralysis considerably limit our ability to proactively interact with our surroundings. This Review discusses neuroprosthetic solutions to restore voluntary hand movements by bypassing the neural lesion.

Phase separation of biomolecular condensates provides a new framework to understand cellular organization and functions. In this Review, the authors discuss the applications and design considerations of synthetic biomolecular condensates to regulate cellular functions as a new paradigm for synthetic biology.

Circulating biomarkers can be detected and analysed in the form of liquid biopsies to improve disease diagnosis and monitoring. This Review discusses the integration of specific assay designs in miniaturized device platforms for the detection of circulating biomarkers, including whole cells, extracellular vesicles and cell-free factors.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell activities can be remotely controlled to provide spatiotemporal precision of CAR T cell activity and improve the safety of cellular immunotherapies. This Review discusses physical and chemogenetic stimuli and the combination of stimuli-responsive nanotechnologies with immuno-engineering to design controllable CAR T cell therapies.

Physical properties affect immune signalling and effector functions in distinct immune cell subtypes. This Review discusses the impact of engineering nanomaterial physical characteristics on modulating immune responses and thus promoting efficient and effective cancer immunotherapy.

Plant-based recombinant protein production has the power to ensure rapid and global-scale deployment of biopharmaceuticals. This Review discusses genetic tools and systems for the plant-based production and engineering of biopharmaceuticals, including vaccines and monoclonal antibodies.