Biomaterials-Based Immune Modulation: Advances in Regenerative Repair Research

Tissue engineering has brought revolutionary potential to the regenerative repair of damaged tissues, providing innovative solutions to restore function. However, the core three elements of traditional tissue engineering (seed cells, growth factors, and scaffold materials) have not fully considered the key impact of the post-injury immune microenvironment on tissue regeneration. By integrating immune modulation with biological materials and stem cell regeneration, novel methods can optimize the regenerative process-and immune modulation will be a new element in tissue engineering. Therefore, incorporating immune modulation as a new element in tissue engineering repair strategies has become an inevitable trend in the development of this field. This research topic explores how immune modulation synergizes with advanced biological materials and stem cell technologies to enhance tissue repair and address the challenges of creating a microenvironment conducive to effective regeneration and functional restoration.
This Research Topic aims to address a critical gap in traditional tissue engineering methods, where the influence of the immune microenvironment on regenerative outcomes is often overlooked. Despite advancements in seed cells, growth factors, and scaffold materials, post-injury immune responses can trigger inflammation, fibrosis, or rejection, thereby impeding effective tissue repair and functional restoration. By incorporating immune modulation as an indispensable component, we seek to foster innovative strategies that harmonize the immune system with regenerative processes, ultimately enhancing clinical translation and patient prognosis.
To achieve this, submissions are encouraged to explore multidisciplinary intersections, including the development of immunomodulatory biomaterials, stem cell-based therapies for regulating immune responses, and microenvironment engineering to promote pro-regenerative immunity. We welcome original research, reviews, and perspectives on themes such as immune-tolerant scaffolds, cytokine modulation, immune cell differentiation/polarization in tissue repair, and in vivo/in vitro models for assessing immune-regenerative synergies. Contributions should highlight translational potential, novel methodologies, and challenges in integrating immune modulation into tissue engineering frameworks, providing a platform to propel regenerative medicine toward more predictable and efficacious therapies.
This Research Topic focuses on the integration of immune modulation into tissue engineering and regenerative repair, emphasizing the immune microenvironment's role in optimizing outcomes for damaged tissues. We invite contributions that bridge immunology, biomaterials science, and stem cell biology to advance pro-regenerative strategies.
Key themes include:
1) Designing biomaterial surfaces that influence immune cell activation.
2) Use of anti-inflammatory drugs, cytokines, or growth factors into biomaterial scaffolds.
3) Delivering genes that encode for immune-regulatory molecules directly to the tissue site using biomaterials.
4) Design, Functional Mechanisms, and Clinical Translation of Immunoregulatory Biomaterials, e.g., Immunotolerant Scaffolds and Anti-inflammatory Matrices.
5) Development of Immunoregulatory Biomaterials Using Multidisciplinary Technologies.
6) Challenges in Biomaterial-Mediated Immunoregulation and Regenerative Repair.
Authors are encouraged to submit original research articles, reviews, mini-reviews, perspectives, and methods papers that demonstrate novel approaches, clinical relevance, and interdisciplinary insights. Submissions should prioritize biomaterial designs and therapeutic methods centered around microenvironment regulation mechanisms.