Wiley interdisciplinary reviews. Nanomedicine and nanobiotechnology最新文献

Liver fibrosis (LF), a major global health burden causing over two million deaths annually, arises from chronic injury leading to hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation and pathological extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition. Current therapies are limited by nonspecific biodistribution and inadequate drug delivery to HSCs. Nanosystems engineered for active HSC targeting offer a promising approach to overcome fibrotic barriers-including capillarized sinusoids and dense ECM-through strategies such as receptor-specific ligand modification, RNA-based gene silencing, and multifunctional combinatorial therapies. These platforms enable precise modulation of HSC activation and ECM remodeling, promoting fibrosis regression while sparing healthy tissue. Despite promising preclinical outcomes, key challenges remain in biosafety, scalable fabrication, and clinical validation. Advancements in HSC-specific nanotherapeutics hold transformative potential for reversing liver fibrosis and restoring hepatic function. This article is categorized under: Nanotechnology Approaches to Biology > Nanoscale Systems in Biology.

Self-organizing tissues, such as organoids, offer transformative potential beyond healthcare by enabling the sustainable production of advanced materials. Resource scarcity and global warming drive the need for innovative fabrication solutions. This prospective review explores developmental biology as a manufacturing process, where the material (e.g., spider silk) and its production unit are self-organized (e.g., silk glands). Biological systems orchestrate the emergence of hierarchical materials with superior mechanical properties and biodegradability, using abundant and renewable resources. Tissue engineering enables the creation of biological systems that surpass current synthetic designs in complexity. We highlight application opportunities, focusing on spider silk as a model to demonstrate how organs synthesize and assemble next-generation materials. The concept of growing both a material and its organ production units is exemplified by hair-bearing organoids, self-organized from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Key challenges in expanding organoid research to new model species and scaling-up production are discussed alongside potential solutions. We propose a simplified description of these complex systems to help address key challenges. Furthermore, synthetic and hybrid approaches are explored, considering the ethical, societal, and technological impacts. Though still in their infancy, material-producing organoids present a promising avenue for sustainable, high-value products, fostering new interdisciplinary collaborations among bioengineers, developmental biologists, and material scientists. This work aims to inspire further exploration into the applications of self-organized biological systems in addressing global challenges. This article is categorized under: Nanotechnology Approaches to Biology > Nanoscale Systems in Biology Nanotechnology Approaches to Biology > Cells at the Nanoscale.

Immunotherapy, particularly immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), has transformed cancer treatment by achieving durable responses in a subset of patients. However, the effectiveness of ICIs is often limited by factors such as low tumor expression of PD-L1 and low tumor mutational burden, which contribute to immune evasion in "cold" tumors. Cancer vaccination through the delivery of tumor antigens offers a promising strategy to enhance antigen-specific immune priming and improve the responses to ICIs. Despite this potential, peptide-based cancer vaccines face several challenges, including immune tolerance, insufficient antigen delivery and presentation, and the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. To overcome these barriers, novel platforms are being developed to codeliver antigens with immunostimulatory agents. In this review, we highlight recent advances in peptide-based cancer vaccine design, including innovative materials, adjuvants, targeting strategies, and controlled release mechanisms. We also discuss their translation and how these approaches may ultimately expand the benefit of immunotherapy to patients with treatment-refractory cancers. This article is categorized under: Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Emerging Technologies Biology-Inspired Nanomaterials > Peptide-Based Structures Biology-Inspired Nanomaterials > Lipid-Based Structures.

The precise monitoring of specific inflammatory biomarkers is crucial for the accurate diagnosis and management of inflammation and infections, as well as for determining the most effective treatment. Recently, there has been a growing interest in innovative methods employing optical biosensors based on plasmonic nanoparticles (PNPs) for the detection of specific biomarkers. PNPs enable the translation of molecular recognition into results that are simple, fast, reliable, real-time, and easy to interpret. This review explores the studies published in recent years that focus on the development of apta- or immuno-sensors for the detection of inflammatory biomarkers. Focusing on diverse analysis techniques, including colorimetry, localized surface plasmon resonance, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, fluorescence, chemiluminescence, and electrochemiluminescence, this review provides a comprehensive investigation of their applications in the detection of inflammatory biomarkers such as interleukins, procalcitonin, and C-reactive protein. For each method, advancements in sensor design, sensitivity, and specificity are reported. This article is categorized under: Diagnostic Tools > Biosensing.

Zoonotic diseases pose significant global health threats, with microbial pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa, responsible for severe outbreaks. The rapid identification and control of zoonotic pathogens remain a major challenge due to their complex transmission dynamics and environmental persistence. Recent advances in molecular microbiology, nanotechnology, and artificial intelligence (AI) have revolutionized diagnostic and therapeutic strategies, enhancing the detection, monitoring, and prevention of diseases caused by pathogens. In machine learning (ML), it is possible to predict outbreaks and classify pathogens with high precision using genomic, proteomics, and epidemiological data, which can be analyzed with machine learning methods. Molecular-level detection is possible with nanotechnology-based biosensors, enabling rapid diagnosis even in areas with limited resources. Machine learning-driven computational models and nanotechnology-based detection tools can drive further advancements in microbial diagnostics, zoonotic disease surveillance, and host-pathogen interactions. Bioinformatics will be discussed along with new trends in microbial resistance and molecular mechanisms underlying pathogen identification in relation to zoonotic spillover events. By combining artificial intelligence with nanoscale biosensors, microbiology can develop more effective diagnostic platforms, real-time surveillance tools, and targeted antimicrobials. The standardization of data, the elimination of biosafety concerns, and the development of regulatory frameworks are all essential steps in advancing this cutting-edge approach to controlling zoonotic disease. This article is categorized under: Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Nanomedicine for Infectious Disease Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Nanomedicine for Oncologic Disease Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Emerging Technologies.

Breast cancer (BC) continues to be the most common cancer affecting women globally, posing significant therapeutic challenges due to limited therapeutic efficacy, non-specific drug targeting, systemic toxicity, and the emergence of chemoresistance. These hurdles emphasize the critical need for novel and effective treatment strategies. Nanomedicine has revolutionized cancer therapy, especially D-alpha-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol succinate (TPGS)-based nanoparticles (TPGS-NPs), which have emerged as a promising strategy due to their enhanced therapeutic potential. TPGS, an amphiphilic derivative of Vitamin E, not only enhances the solubility, stability, and bioavailability of lipophilic drugs but also exhibits intrinsic anti-BC properties. The incorporation of TPGS into NPs significantly enhances their physicochemical properties. Further, the engineering of TPGS-NPs with targeting ligands significantly improves their specificity towards cancer cells. Also, TPGS-NPs show great potential to improve photothermal and photodynamic therapies due to their excellent physicochemical properties. Moreover, TPGS-NPs demonstrate an excellent ability for gene (plasmid DNA, siRNA, and miRNA) delivery by enhancing stability and transfection efficiency. This review explores the multifaceted role of TPGS and the role of different TPGS-NPs in circumventing the limitations of conventional chemotherapy in BC treatment. Overall, developing TPGS-NPs offers a versatile and multifaceted approach to achieve better therapeutic outcomes against BC. This article is categorized under: Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Nanomedicine for Oncologic Disease.

Immunotherapy has advanced quickly as a promising new approach for cancer treatment, but its therapeutic efficacy and clinical translation have lagged expectations, because of its inability to directly target tumors, low response rates, and nonspecific immune reactions. Anticancer therapies like photodynamic therapy (PDT) show promise over traditional modalities, as they can induce a specific type of tumor cell death known as immunogenic cell death (ICD) to boost the immune response against solid tumors. However, successful therapeutic outcomes cannot be achieved with PDT-driven ICD-based single-modal cancer immunotherapy alone, which necessitates the combination of ICD-based PDT with other immunotherapies. Therefore, to achieve effective PDT-driven immunotherapy, it is imperative to enhance the in vivo delivery efficiency of photosensitizers and immuno agents, along with reducing the off-target side effects, to develop comprehensive therapeutic strategies like photo-immunotherapy and photo-immunometabolic therapy. Herein, this review discusses the recent advances in the field at the intersection of PDT, immunoconjugates, nanotechnology, and ICD, majorly focusing on their molecular design and nanoengineering, and their induced synergistic effects. Finally, the opportunities and current challenges encountered in this field, along with the significant advancements made in recent years, have been highlighted. This article is categorized under: Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Nanomedicine for Oncologic Disease Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Emerging Technologies Toxicology and Regulatory Issues in Nanomedicine > Toxicology of Nanomaterials.

¹⁸F-labeled nanoprobes represent a significant advancement in molecular imaging, integrating the high sensitivity and quantitative capabilities of positron emission tomography (PET) with the versatility of nanotechnology. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the design strategies and diverse applications of ¹⁸F nanoprobes. Initially, we examine the synthesis approaches, including direct ¹⁸F radiolabeling of nanoparticles, nano-encapsulation of ¹⁸F tracers, and nanoscale self-assembly of ¹⁸F tracers, all tailored to enhance biocompatibility, targeting specificity, and imaging clarity. Subsequently, we systematically explore the in vivo behavior of ¹⁸F nanoprobes, focusing on key influencing factors such as functional precursors, physicochemical properties and surface chemistry. Furthermore, the applications of ¹⁸F nanoprobes in multimodal imaging, including PET/MR, PET/CT, and PET/MR/UCL imaging are discussed, particularly for tumor detection, therapeutic response monitoring, pharmacokinetics and biodistribution assessment in living subjects. Finally, the challenges and future perspectives of nanoprobes are addressed, highlighting their potential for utility in both clinical and research settings. This review anticipates the pivotal role of ¹⁸F nanoprobes in advancing personalized medicine, offering precise diagnostics and paving the way for next-generation targeted theranostic platforms. Detailed studies on the mechanisms of ¹⁸F nanoprobes, with an emphasis on clinical translation and potential benefits, are expected to further propel this promising field. This article is categorized under: Diagnostic Tools > In Vivo Nanodiagnostics and Imaging Diagnostic Tools > Diagnostic Nanodevices.

Postoperative tumor cavities provide a transient but targetable immune niche where local biomaterials can suppress residual disease and complement systemic therapy. Self-assembling peptidic hydrogels are uniquely suited for this setting because their molecular programmability, supramolecular order, and tissue-conforming mechanics enable both precision drug delivery and immune modulation. In this review, we organize recent advances into three emerging strategies: (i) immunoactive carriers that remain immunologically inert while delivering innate agonists, nucleic acids, or antibodies with spatial and temporal precision; (ii) intrinsically immunomodulatory matrices whose chirality, supramolecular order, and mechanics regulate dendritic-cell activation, macrophage polarization, and memory formation; and (iii) drug-as-hydrogelator formats that integrate cytotoxic debulking and myeloid reprogramming within a single filament network. We highlight design elements such as sequence-encoded motifs, stimulus-responsive linkers, chemokine programming, and logic-gated release systems, and we discuss translational considerations including cavity geometry, surgical workflow, and safety liabilities. Together, these strategies reframe the resection cavity as a programmable immune interface rather than a passive drug reservoir, pointing toward material-centric frameworks that could transform postoperative oncology. This article is categorized under: Biology-Inspired Nanomaterials > Peptide-Based Structures Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Emerging Technologies.

The drug delivery nanosystems (DDNS) have demonstrated excellent potential in numerous drug modifications reliant on the physical and chemical properties. However, the main challenge in the clinical application transformation of DDNS lies in the biological barriers between the administration site and the target site, which hinders efficient drug transport. The polyethylene glycol (PEG)-modified stealth strategies that have been clinically approved have also been questioned due to inherent defects such as accelerated blood clearance and specific immune responses. As an alternative to PEG, zwitterion polymers with characteristics including forming a strong hydration layer, extremely low immunogenicity, and ultra-delayed blood circulation time have stood out in the surface modification of DDNS for various administration routes. This review introduces the biological barriers faced by drugs in various administration routes, elaborates on the advantages of the inherent properties of zwitterions in overcoming these barriers, and focuses on the latest progress in how zwitterions can flexibly modify DDNS to achieve superior delivery efficiency and efficacy in various administration routes. Finally, the rational design of zwitterion-modified DDNS for future disease treatment is envisioned. This article is categorized under: Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Emerging Technologies.