REVIEW article
Front. Immunol.
Sec. Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology
This article is part of the Research TopicEngineered Biomaterials-Based Approaches For Probing and Directing Immune Cell ResponsesView all 3 articles
Engineering Neuroimmune Regulation: Biomaterial and Nanotechnology Platforms for Neuropathology Diagnosis and Targeted Immunomodulation
Provisionally accepted
- 1University of Delaware, Newark, United States
- 2VA Maryland Health Care System, Baltimore, United States
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The immune system is a potent and interwoven regulator of neuropathology in the central nervous system (CNS). For example, gliomas, neurodegenerative diseases, and autoimmune neuroinflammation all have diverse etiology and pathogenesis. Yet, there are numerous similarities in immunological dysfunction between these neuropathological conditions. Synthesizing this knowledge could inform advanced diagnostics and therapeutic platforms. For instance, detection and precision management of neuroinflammation or blood-brain barrier integrity would be broadly applicable. Understanding the targetable or controllable immune pathways of these disorders and engineering local and systemic interventions are essential for improving disease prognosis. This review integrates and contrasts the biology, detection, and treatment of the aforementioned neuropathologies. First, immunological underpinnings and recent discoveries on the role of innate and adaptive immune cells are discussed. Second, diagnostics that span molecular and nanotechnology-based platforms are detailed for enhanced imaging and screening of neuroinflammation. Last, immunomodulatory therapeutics and the precision of biomaterial platforms for neuroimmune regulation are examined. Within this section on therapeutics, both clinical and experimental approaches are stratified by CNS-localized or systemic mechanism-of-action. Overall, the integration of immunotherapies, biomaterials, advanced drug delivery platforms, and precision medicine will be critical in overcoming current treatment limitations for neuropathology that have few or no therapeutic options.
Keywords: Biomaterials, Central Nervous System, Drug Delivery & Targeting, Glioma, Immunomodulation, Immunotherapy, Multiplesclerosis, neurodegeneration
Received: 08 Aug 2025; Accepted: 15 Dec 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Jackson, Porter and Oakes. 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: Robert Smith Oakes
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