Physical and Chemical Cues at the Nano–Bio Interface for Immunomodulation

Abstract

Immunomodulation has made remarkable progress in fighting infectious disease and cancer. Conventionally, immunomodulation largely relies on chemical/biochemical agents, which, unfortunately, suffer from sever off-target adverse effects. Recent insights into nano-bio interactions suggest that nanomaterials can directly participate in immunomodulation. A range of physical and chemical cues at the nano-bio interface have been harnessed to regulate diverse immuno-signaling for disease control and treatment. In this Minireview, we summarize recent studies on the physical and chemical cues enabled by intrinsic nanomaterials to trigger immunological signaling. First, we discuss physical cues mediated by surface topography, hydrophobicity, charge, and heat at the nano-bio interface for immunomodulation. Then, various nanomaterials enabled chemical cues, such as metal species and oxidative species are outlined. Finally, our perspectives on challenges and possible future directions are provided.

Bioinspired Hybrid Nanostructured PEEK Implant with Enhanced Antibacterial and Anti-inflammatory Synergy

“…Notably, following the introduction of zinc ions, the percentage of M1 macrophages on the NP@PDA/Zn surface decreased by 30.9% while that of M2 increased by 26.6% compared with the FF group, indicating the pivotal role of Zn 2+ in this immune regulatory process (Figure A,B). Macrophages are known to exhibit distinct markers on their cell surface and cytokine secretion profiles, with CD80 and CD206 serving as distinguishing markers of M1 and M2 phenotypes, respectively. − As illustrated in Figure C, the percentage of CD80-positive cells is lowest in the NP@PDA/Zn group, while that of CD206-positive cells is highest, which revealed a significantly lower percentage of M1 macrophages in the NP@PDA/Zn group in comparison with those in the FF, NP, and NP@PDA groups, accompanied by a notable increase in M2 macrophages. Then, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was employed to evaluate the relative expression levels of cytokine secretion and inflammatory genetic markers (Figure D).…”

Dual Photo‐Enhanced Interpenetrating Network Hydrogel with Biophysical and Biochemical Signals for Infected Bone Defect Healing

“…[31] The use of stiffness-optimized hydrogels could also promote the polarization of immune cells toward a reparative phenotype. [32] In addition, the ability to adapt to the irregular shape of the defect site would be beneficial to the force conduction and local drug retention in bone repair, [4] and the correct viscosity would enhance the signal conduction between cells and biomaterials, which would be beneficial to tissue repair. [33] Hydrogels have shown great potential to provide physiologically relevant microenvironments for cell proliferation and tissue regeneration, [34] while also serving as carriers for controlled drug release.…”