REVIEW article
Front. Cell Dev. Biol.
Sec. Molecular and Cellular Pathology
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fcell.2025.1669399
This article is part of the Research TopicThe Role of Immune Cells in Tissue Regeneration: Mechanisms and Therapeutic InsightsView all 5 articles
Smart biomaterials: as active immune modulators to shape pro-regenerative microenvironments
Provisionally accepted
- China Unicom Digital Intelligence Medical Technology Co. Ltd, Guangzhou, China
Select one of your emails
You have multiple emails registered with Frontiers:
Notify me on publication
Please enter your email address:
If you already have an account, please login
You don't have a Frontiers account ? You can register here
Abstract The field of smart biomaterials has evolved from passive scaffolds to dynamic, immune-modulating platforms capable of actively shaping regenerative microenvironments. This review explores the transition from inert to autonomous systems, emphasizing innovations in material responsiveness—such as pH, temperature, and enzymatic sensitivity—that enable intelligent interactions with biological cues. A key focus is the role of macrophage polarization in tissue repair, where biomaterials regulate immune responses through physicochemical properties and spatiotemporally controlled immunomodulatory factor release. Applications in cancer immunotherapy, myocardial regeneration, and scar inhibition highlight their therapeutic potential. Advances in biomimetic design and multiscale modeling accelerate rational development. However, clinical translation faces challenges in biosafety, scalability, and regulatory approval. Future directions point towards precision immune engineering, integrating optogenetic control, artificial intelligence-driven personalized design, and synergistic multimodal therapies. Ultimately, smart biomaterials are pioneering precision immune engineering, offering transformative strategies for regenerative medicine and disease intervention.
Keywords: Smart biomaterials, Macrophage polarization, Immunomodulation, Biomimetic Materials, Regenerative Medicine
Received: 19 Jul 2025; Accepted: 22 Sep 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Zhang, Zeng, Deng, Yang, Ma and Gao. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Wei Gao, gaow@chinaunicom.cn
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.