Biomedical materials articles from across Nature Portfolio

The hydrophobicity, electrostatic charge and secondary conformation of helical polypeptides can be optimized to stimulate antitumour innate immune responses via endoplasmic reticulum stress in antigen-presenting cells.

A key aspect of wearable devices used in personal health monitoring are the electrodes that make contact with the skin. This Review discusses how the materials and structure of electrodes used in these devices are vital to their performance, including how altering these factors might optimize their function.

Rapid degradation inducing overdose toxicity remains challenging in porous biodegradable bone scaffolds. Here the authors present multiscale architecture design on ZnLi scaffolds with 90% porosity orchestrates immune responses and subsequent bone regeneration.

The utility of single-atom catalysts (SACs) for photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been limited by tumor hypoxia and side effects on normal tissues. Here the authors address these issues by developing an approach of tumor microenvironment-activated in situ synthesis of SACs for tumor-specific water-based PDT.

The surface properties of the star polymer coating were evaluated with their resistance to protein adsorption and surface zeta (ζ)-potential to clarify the mechanism for inhibition of cell adhesion. The surface of the star polymer coating with a high density of poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) formed an electrically neutral diffuse brush structure in water and showed high resistance to protein adsorption. Considering the data obtained in the study, the surface ζ-potential and antibiofouling properties were correlated by controlling the molecular architecture of the coating material.

An article in Nature Communications reports an injectable hydrogel electrode to stimulate and restore the native pacing of the heart.

An article in Advanced Healthcare Materials reports a 4D-printed hydrogel dressing that shrinks at body temperature and promotes healing in chronic diabetic wounds.

This Comment discusses metal–organic frameworks and their progress towards translation in a health-care setting. We explore their prospects in clinical applications, why translation seems slow, and what opportunities and obstacles await as they move towards the clinic.

Confining the Zika virus within a self-adjuvanting hydrogel that forms a subcutaneous inflammatory niche stimulates strong immune responses in mice without inducing infection.

Cancer nanotherapy suffers from low-yield delivery that is imposed by tumour pathophysiological barriers. Top-down drug delivery strategies, including exosomes and cell membrane-coated particles, can improve safety and efficacy owing to the innate biointerfacial properties of these platforms. Here, we discuss the technological challenges that need to be overcome for their clinical implementation.