Fertile ground for homeostatic reformation: Engineered release platforms for enhanced regenerative outcomes

Abstract

Homeostasis is essential for tissue function, highlighting the need for homeostatic reformation (HRF) of the local microenvironment after a lesion. In tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, engineered release platforms (ERPs) are pivotal for the localized and controlled delivery of therapeutic agents, including pharmaceutical drugs and cytokines, to facilitate HRF. However, traditional topical or oral administration often suffer from low drug utilization and inadequate release profiles for sustained therapeutic effects. By utilizing various materials and techniques, ERPs can be tailored to the specific pathological environment and healing needs of targeted tissues, enhancing both the efficacy and duration of therapeutic interventions. This review categorizes ERPs based on their drug release profiles: short-term drug release, long-term drug release, and passive or initiative stimulus-responsive drug release. It provides an overview of current advancements, identifies key limitations, and discusses future directions for the development of ERPs in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine for better HRF.