Cancer immunotherapy uses the body’s immune system to fight tumors by restoring natural antitumor responses. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), characterized by their unique crystalline porous structures formed from metal ions linked by organic ligands, offer a promising solution. Recent studies have unveiled the potential of MOFs in cancer immunotherapy. The exceptional porosity and surface area, coupled with their extraordinary thermal and chemical stability, bring significant advantages for efficient drug loading and delivery of immunotherapeutic agents. The adaptability of MOFs further enhances the controlled release of immunotherapeutic drugs within target cells and increases tumor sensitivity to other therapies such as photodynamic, photothermal, and radiotherapy. This multifunctional carrier contributes to modulating the tumor microenvironment and reactivating antitumor immunity, providing a comprehensive strategy for cancer treatment. In this review, we summarize the applications of MOFs in immune checkpoint blockade, immunomodulator delivery, and cancer vaccine delivery, and discuss existing challenges in their use for immunotherapy. This discussion aims to offer insights for developing better treatments and enhancing the efficacy of immunotherapy.
It is a great challenge to improve the properties of pure calcium sulfate bone cement. Here, two calcium sulfate hemihydrate powders with different aspect ratios were prepared, and three chitosan addition methods were adopted to investigate the effect on the surface and interface properties of calcium sulfate/chitosan composite bone cement. The results showed that it lacked chemical bond between chitosan and calcium sulfate, and the short rod calcium sulfate displayed better interface adhesion with chitosan owing to its smaller size, so it possessed shorter setting time, better compressive strength and slower degradation than the long rod calcium sulfate, while the biocompatibility had no remarkable difference. Moreover, chitosan solution as liquid phase was a better solidification mode than citric acid, and calcium sulfate/chitosan composite as solid phase was the worst mode because of poor interface compatibility. Conclusively, it was a simple, low-cost, and effective preparation process to choose short rod calcium sulfate powder as solid phase and 1 wt% chitosan solution as liquid phase, which could achieve calcium sulfate/chitosan composite bone cement with the best properties, including setting time, compressive strength, degradation rate, and biocompatibility, displaying a promising application in bone defect repair.
Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is a critical global health concern with the potential to lead to adverse outcomes, including infertility and chronic pelvic pain. Since PID is often caused by ascending vaginal infections or urinary tract infections, understanding the treatment of both is critical to preventing PID. Meanwhile, the emergence of drug-resistant and persistently infected strains poses a growing challenge. This review discusses current clinical treatments for the prevention of PID from the physiologic basis of PID, as well as summarizes the advantages and research progress of hydrogels in the prevention of PID. In contrast to conventional treatments, hydrogels serve as excellent vehicles for vaginal drug delivery, maintaining the presence of the drug at the target site and controlling its release. In the context of urinary tract infections (UTIs), hydrogels are employed primarily as coatings on catheters to prevent and treat catheter-associated UTIs. Finally, this review summarizes the limitations of hydrogels in PID prevention and future directions for development with the aim of elucidating avenues for clinical treatment of PID and informing further research.
The effective treatment of skin wounds has long posed a significant challenge in the medical field, impacting patient comfort, quality of life, and the rate and outcome of wound healing. With continuous advancements in science and technology, novel materials have emerged, providing new possibilities for skin wound treatment. Among these, multifunctional hydrogels have shown considerable potential in promoting skin wound healing as a type of wound dressing material. This review systematically examines the progress in the application of multifunctional hydrogels in skin wound healing. Initially, the structure and composition of the skin are introduced. Subsequently, skin wounds are classified, and the wound-healing process is discussed in detail. Traditional and modern dressings are then categorized, with a particular emphasis on the characteristics and applications of hydrogel dressings. The various functions of hydrogels in skin wound healing, including antibacterial, antioxidant, hemostatic, adhesive, stimulus-responsive, and wound status monitoring, are reviewed. The paper concludes with a summary of the existing research gaps and provides insights into the future development directions of multifunctional hydrogels. This review aims to guide the preparation of hydrogel wound dressings and offer theoretical references for the exploration of next-generation functional hydrogels.
Cardiovascular diseases have become one of the leading causes of death and illness worldwide, posing significant challenges to global health. Due to the limited regenerative capacity of the heart, conventional approaches to treating heart diseases have demonstrated limited effectiveness. Therefore, leveraging biomaterials and biotechnologies in cardiac tissue engineering has emerged as a promising therapeutic strategy. This review aims to summarize the various characteristics of biomaterials in cardiac tissue engineering and their significance in addressing heart diseases. We categorize biomaterials into natural, synthetic, and conductive types based on their sources and unique properties, focusing on their applications in cardiac tissue engineering. We then present current applications of biomaterials in cardiac tissue engineering, followed by a discussion of existing challenges such as long-term material stability, biocompatibility, adverse reactions, and precise application methodologies. Additionally, we provide insights into potential strategies for overcoming these challenges, aiming to enhance the effectiveness and safety of biomaterials in cardiac tissue engineering applications. Finally, this review highlights the potential of emerging biomaterials and technologies, underscoring the critical role of interdisciplinary collaboration in driving innovation and progress in cardiac tissue engineering.
Nanogels (NGs) are considered as a kind of nanoscale hydrogels (<200 nm) endowing with the functions of both nanomaterials and hydrogels. In the last 20 years, NGs have garnered significant attention due to their versatility and adaptability. Herein, a comprehensive overview of the latest advancements and current research status of NGs is provided, with a particular focus on the synthesis strategies involving physical and chemical cross-linking methods, as well as the advantages of NGs in drug loading and responsive release. Based on the diverse design strategies of NGs, four key biomedical applications, including inflammation therapy, regenerative medicine, bioimaging and tumor therapy are further summarized and discussed. Moreover, the existed inherent challenges facing NGs are proposed, while highlighting their potential to revolutionize therapeutic and diagnostic approaches. Finally, we look forward to the further development and promising potentials of NGs in biomedical applications. This review aims to serve as a valuable reference for researchers, providing some insights into the evolving landscape of NGs and their potential in advanced biomedical applications.
Biomimicry is the enduring pursuit in the field of bone implants, wherein bio-materials with adjustable elastic modulus and porosity, the same as natural bone, offer a novel strategy for developing and applying new bone repair materials. Conventional biomaterials are often used to repair bone defects without complete consideration of structural and functional osseointegration, leading to interface repair failure. In this study, organic-inorganic interpenetrating network technology was employed using varying amounts of nano-hydroxyapatite (nHAP) and methacrylated gelatin (GelMA) and osteogenic growth peptide (OGP) to construct biomimetic bones with low, medium, and high nano-hydroxyapatite content (GelMA-c-OGP/nHAP). As the concentration of nano-hydroxyapatite increases, comprehensive evaluations of the biomimetic materials were conducted using osteogenic ability tests, Micro-CT scans, nanoindentation tests, and mechanical tests. The developed biomimetic structural material exhibits well-controlled mechanical properties. Compared to natural bone trabeculae, this biomimetic material not only maintains the organic and inorganic ratio of natural bone but also demonstrates exceptional mechanical load-bearing capabilities. Additionaly，this scaffold exhibits good porosity and mechanical properties. It enhances cell adhesion, integrates perfectly with bone tissue, and demonstrates excellent osteogenic ability both in vitro and in vivo. This study lays the foundation for constructing biomimetic scaffolds with adjustable mechanical properties, presenting high prospects for applications in the field of tissue engineering.
With the development of nanosystems, they are gradually utilized to ameliorate diverse cancer therapies. Specifically for immunotherapy, most nanosystems are elaborately designed to initiate the self-sustaining “cancer immunity cycle (CIC)” to elicit the immune response. However, owing to the highly complex circulatory environment, nanosystems may face issues like nonspecific nanoparticle uptake and rapid clearance, leaving enormous room for advancement. For employing the biomimetic design in nanosystems, biomimetic nanosystems based on cell membranes (BNCMs) inherit various functional molecules from source cells, permitting precise tumor targeting, enhancing blood circulation, and conferring more desired functionality for a more robust immune response. To take full advantage of the BNCMs, understanding their functions in cancer immunotherapy is essential. In this review, the unique properties of BNCMs derived from various cells and main preparation strategies are introduced. Subsequently, the recent advances of BNCMs for improving cancer immunotherapy are discussed from the aspects of their roles in particular stages of the CIC, and the working mechanisms of the outer cell membranes are highlighted. Finally, along with the analysis of existing bottlenecks for clinical translation, some suggestions for the future development of BNCMs are put forward.