MedMat - Med Mat

Advances in Organic Photoactive Materials with Aggregation-Induced Emission Characteristics for Tumor Theranostics

Organic photoactive materials exhibit considerable potential in enhancing the precision of tumor diagnostics and therapeutics, owing to their distinctive photophysical characteristics and adaptable functional properties. Among these, aggregation-induced emission (AIE) materials exhibit superior performance attributes, including aggregation-enhanced fluorescence, robust photostability, and reduced background interference, thereby significantly enhancing the sensitivity of tumor imaging and therapeutic outcomes. This review focuses on the recent advancements in the design and application of AIE-based organic photoactive materials for tumor diagnostics and therapeutics. We elaborate on innovative design strategies centered on specific targeted subcellular organelle localization, tumor microenvironment-triggered activation, tunable emission wavelengths, and the integration of photoimmunotherapeutic functionalities. Moreover, this article presents a forward-looking perspective on the future development landscape of this field, emphasizing the critical role of organic photoactive materials in enhancing tumor theranostic. It also provides strategic guidance to facilitate the clinical translation of photodiagnostic approaches.

Chen, Chen; Wu, Ping; Zhao, Feifan; Han, Yuanyuan; Lu, Xiaoli; Yu, Huan; Huang, Lingyan; Chen, Xiaoying; Ma, Haijun¹

Key Lab of Ministry of Education for Protection and Utilization of Special Biological Resources in Western China, School of Life Sciences, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China. E-mail: mahj@nxu.edu.cn

State Key Laboratory of High-efficiency Utilization of Coal and Green Chemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China. E-mail: chenxiao18@nxu.edu.cn

General hospital of Ningxia medical university, Yinchuan 750004, China.

Acknowledgment: We thank the financial support from the Natural Science Foundation of Ningxia Province (2023AAC05027 and 2024AAC05045), National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 22406096, 52303189 and U22A20144), Key Research and Development Program of Ningxia (2024SFZD004 and 2023BEG02023).

Notes: The authors declare no competing financial interest.

Pathogenesis-Guided Nanozymes: From Design to Therapy for Gastrointestinal Inflammation

Gastrointestinal inflammatory diseases have a significant impact on human health and quality of life, underscoring the urgent need to develop novel treatment strategies. As emerging biomaterials, nanozymes combine the advantages of nanomaterials with enzyme-like catalytic activities, demonstrating considerable potential for managing gastrointestinal inflammation. To provide researchers with a clear and concise overview of recent advances and future directions in this area, this review systematically summarizes and discusses the progress in nanozyme applications for treating gastrointestinal inflammatory disorders, including inflammatory bowel disease, Helicobacter pylori infection, and the like. We begin by elucidating the catalytic mechanisms underlying the major types of nanozymes, including metal-based, metal–organic framework (MOF)-based, and carbon-based nanozymes. Subsequently, we explore nanozyme designs that enable multifaceted therapeutic effects-including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, microbiota regulation, and barrier repair functions-through strategies such as multi-enzyme mimicry, targeted delivery, and stimulus-responsive activation. While challenges related to targeting precision and biosafety remain, nanozymes offer promising opportunities to overcome the limitations of conventional therapies. The review also discusses future prospects, such as AI-assisted design, which may accelerate the development of next-generation nanozymes. We believe this work provides a valuable theoretical foundation for the design of efficient and safe nanozyme-based treatments for gastrointestinal inflammation.

Du, Yanjin¹; He, Zude¹; Chen, Chong¹; Guo, Fengyu¹; Ren, Fazheng¹; Wang, Pengjie¹; Ai, Yongjian^1,*; Liu, Ping^1,*

¹Department of Nutrition and Health, China Agricultural University,100193 Beijing, China

Conflict of Interest: Yanjin Du, Zude He, Chong Chen, Fengyu Guo, Fazheng Ren,Pengjie Wang, Yongjian Ai, Ping Liu no conflicts of interest.

Funding Disclosure: This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (82304442, 22304099, 82574366), Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences (2024-I2M-3-013, 2023-I2M-2-001), National Key R&D Program of China (2023YFC3504401, 2022YFA1103403), Beijing Natural Science Foundation (L256002), Beijing Out-standing Young Scientist Program (JWZQ20240101019), China Postdoctoral Science Foundation Funded Project (2023T160372, 2022M713402, 2022M711779, BX20220160), and the National Key R&D Program of China under the 14th Five-Year Plan (Grant No. 2024YFD1301304).

Emails: ^*ayj@cau.edu.cn^*ping.liu1@cau.edu.cn

Exogenous electrical stimulation in soft tissue wounds healing: mechanism and devices

Electrical stimulation can serve as a therapeutic modality accelerating the healing of soft tissue wounds. However, endogenous electric fields are frequently found to be attenuated in chronic wounds. Consequently, exogenous electrical stimulation devices have been explored to supplement and enhance endogenous electric fields, thereby promoting faster and more robust healing of soft tissue injuries. This review outlines the generation of endogenous electric fields in wounds, the molecular mechanisms by which electric fields facilitate healing, and the roles of endogenous electric fields across various stages of tissue repair. It further highlights recent advancements in applying exogenous electrical stimulation to wound sites. Finally, we discuss the challenges and future directions for the widespread clinical implementation of exogenous electrical stimulation in soft tissue wound management.

Yu, Jingwei^a,†; Zhao, Dawei^b,†; Yuan, Yue^a; Zhou, Minghao^a; Li, Peng^b; Wang, Tengjiao^b; Hongbo, Wei^a,*

^aState Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shaanxi Engineering Research Center for Dental Materials and Advanced Manufacture, Department of Oral Implants, School of Stomatology, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, PR China

^bFrontiers Science Center for Flexible Electronics (FSCFE), Institute of Flexible Electronics (IFE) & Institute of Biomedical Materials and Engineering (IBME), Northwestern Polytechnical University (NPU), Xi’an, Shaanxi, PR China

^†These authors contributed equally to this work.

Data availability statement: Data sharing not applicable to this article as no datasets were generated or analyzed during the current study.

Funding statement: The authors acknowledge the financial support from Shaanxi Provincial Health High-level Talent (Team) Cultivation Program and Air Force Military Medical University Interdisciplinary Integration Program(2024JC033).

Conflict of interest disclosure: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Permission to reproduce material from other sources: The permissions to reproduce figures from the copyright holders were obtained, and the original sources were cited accurately in accordance with the fair use principles outlined in copyright law.

^*weihongbo@fmmu.edu.cn

Artificial Intelligence Empowering Innovative R&D in Medical Materials: Prospects from Model Algorithm Breakthroughs to Precision Transformation

Traditional medical material development relies on trial-and-error experimentation and lengthy clinical trials, resulting in prolonged cycles, high costs, and limited success rates. This model not only severely hampers R&D efficiency but also struggles to rapidly address the urgent demand for new materials in the medical field. Artificial intelligence technology, by integrating multimodal data with advanced algorithms, is breaking through this bottleneck. This paper systematically reviews the application progress of AI across the entire medical material development chain, focusing on three core scenarios: “AI-driven molecular material design,” “biocompatibility prediction,” and “personalized material customization.” Through comparative analysis of differences in technical approaches and methodological frameworks among global research groups, it deeply elucidates the key challenges currently facing the field and offers forward-looking perspectives. biocompatibility prediction,“ and ”personalized material customization." By comparing and analyzing differences in technical approaches and methodological frameworks among global research groups, it deeply elucidates key challenges in the field and prospectively outlines future directions for the convergence of AI and medical materials. This aims to provide a systematic framework for innovative development in medical materials.

Lu, Kun^1,#,*; Ying, Qunbo^2,#; Dai, Yong¹; Yan, Qiang¹; Liu, Xiang¹; Wang, Shutong²; Wang, Yalin²; Wang, Feilong²; Huang, Gaoxiang¹; Wang, Tao¹; Chen, Fengyan¹; Tao, Xuxiu¹; Wang, Pingping¹; Fan, Qian²; Lin, Chenyin²; Chu, Xin^2,*; Chu, Songtao^1,*

^1. Clinical Research Center-Translational Medicine Laboratory of PLA No.924 Hospital, Guilin 541000, China

^2. Wuhan East Lake College, Wuhan 430212, China

^#Co-first author

^*Co-Corresponding author

Author Contributions: Ying Qunbo & Lukun were responsible for writing the paper and drawing the figures, while Wang Shutong and Wang Yalin contributed to partial revisions and additional figure drawing.

Acknowledgements: We extend our gratitude to all team members for their collaborative efforts.

Conflict of Interests Statement: The authors declare no conflicts of interest during the writing process.

Data Availability Statement: All obtained data are publicly available.

Biobased Ag nanowire films with high antibacterial activity for infected wound healing

Wound infection remains a critical challenge in clinical practice, frequently leading to delayed healing and increased risks of complications. Herein, we first screened Ag NWs with excellent antibacterial, antioxidant, and cell migration-promoting properties from silver-based nanomaterials with distinct dimensional morphologies, including Ag nanowires (NWs), Ag nanoparticles (NPs), nitrogen-doped graphene (NGC) supported Ag nanoparticles (Ag NPs/NGC) and Ag single atoms (Ag1/NGC), as candidates for wound dressing applications. To further enhance therapeutic efficacy, we developed a composite film (Ag NWs@SF) by incorporating Ag NWs into silk fibroin (SF). Under near-infrared (NIR) light, it generates localized heat to provide a synergistic antibacterial effect to accelerate wound healing. Interestingly, the robust electrical stimulation responsiveness of Ag NWs endows the film with the potential for real-time wound monitoring. This composite film demonstrates outstanding antibacterial activity against common wound pathogens, which maintains biocompatibility and fostering tissue regeneration. In vitro and in vivo studies reveal that the Ag NWs@SF membrane accelerates wound closure by stimulating cell migration, mitigating bacterial infection, and reducing inflammatory responses. These findings offer a novel approach for effective clinical wound management, potentially addressing the unmet clinical needs in infection combating and wound healing promoting.

Li, Xueqian^a,c; Chen, Mi^a; Jing, Bingshuai^d; Tian, Jie^b; Xie, Huidong^c; Xu, Hailong^a; Li, Wenfeng^b; Shen, Mengqi^e; Ning, Xiaona^f*; Zhou, Wenhao^a*; Liu, Hu^b*

^aShaanxi Key Laboratory of Biomedical Metallic Materials, Northwest Institute for Non-ferrous Metal Research, Xi'an, 710016, China. E-mail: zhouwh@c-nin.com

^bKey Laboratory of Green and High-end Utilization of Salt Lake Resources, Qinghai Engineering and Technology Research Center of Comprehensive Utilization of Salt Lake Resources, Qinghai Institute of Salt Lakes, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, Qinghai 810008, China. mail: liuhu@isl.ac.cn

^cSchool of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi’an 710055, China.

^dState Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shaanxi Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Stomatology, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China.

^eLenfest Center for Sustainable Energy, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA

^fDepartment of Ophthalmology, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710038, China.

X. Li, M. Chen contributed equally to this paper.

Acknowledgements: This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 52271189 and 32401126), the Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars of Shaanxi (Grant No. 2024JC-JCQN-31), the Key Program of enterprises and institutions of Shaanxi Province grant number (Grant No. 2023-LL-QY-44), the Natural Science Foundation of Qinghai Province for Distinguished Young Scholars (Grant No. 2025-ZJ-966J) and the talent youth project of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. E410GC03).

Conflicts of interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Recent advances in DNA methylation in tumorigenesis and diagnosis

DNA methylation is the process of adding a methyl group to the 5'-carbon of the cytosine residue in the CpG dinucleotide sequence, and it is one of the key components of epigenetic modifications. DNA methylation occurs alongside various biological processes. Abnormal DNA methylation is often associated with the onset of various severe diseases. As a century-old problem that threatens human life, in-depth studies of tumors have revealed abundant evidence of dysregulated DNA methylation. Numerous studies have indicated that DNA hypermethylation tends to impact the transcription of many tumor suppressor genes, leading to the immortalization of tumor cells. In this review, we systematically summarize the progression of DNA methylation in tumor types with currently high incidence rates. We also summarize the current clinical methods of DNA methylation detection and treatment, and provide an in-depth analysis of the advantages and limitations of these methods. In addition, we discuss the future limitations and challenges facing DNA methylation research, aiming to advance its clinical application in tumor diagnosis and treatment.

Liu, Shikang^a; Yao, Youli^c; Li, Zhongjun^d; Wang, Zhiyi^b*

^aSpin-X Institute, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 511442, China

^bState Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials and Technologies, School of Materials, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University Shenzhen 518107, China

^cCollege of Electronic and Information Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266590, China

^dInstitute of Systems Engineering, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau 999078, China

Conflict of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Acknowledgements: This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 22377026, 52001008) and the National Key Research and Development Program of China (No. 2023YFB3507003).

Engineering Immune Microenvironments for Organoid-on-a-Chip Systems

Organoid-on-a-chip technology synergizes the self-organizing capacity and cellular complexity of organoids with the precise microenvironmental control offered by organ-on-a-chip systems, significantly advancing the physiological relevance of in vitro models for studying development, disease, and drug responses. However, a critical bottleneck persists: the integration and maintenance of a functional immune microenvironment, which is essential for accurately modeling complex diseases (e.g., cancers, inflammatory disorders) and therapies (e.g., immunotherapies). While recent reviews have categorized immune organoid-on-a-chip progress by organ type, this review adopts a bioengineering-centric approach to deconstruct immune microenvironment construction. We systematically analyze key parameters—including immune cell integration strategies/sourcing, target cell interactions, immune cell motility patterns, and immune network complexity—across diverse model systems. Furthermore, we critically evaluate the transformative applications of these immune-competent models in drug toxicity screening, cell therapy interactions, and gene therapy efficacy assessment. Finally, we discuss persistent challenges and future directions for achieving truly predictive human immune-competent in vitro models. This synthesis provides a methodological framework for advancing the design and application of next-generation organoid-on-a-chip platforms.

Li, Leyu^1,#; Xu, Qiuli^1,#; Zhao, Jiaqi^2,#; Qu, Yueyang¹; Luo, Yong^2,*; Zhang, Xiuli^1,*

¹Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Research, Development, and Translation for Major Brain Disorders, Suzhou International Joint Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Brain Diseases, Suzhou Medical College, Soochow University, Renai Road, #199, Suzhou, China, 215127

²State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Linggong Road, #2, Dalian, China, 116024

^#These authors contributed equally to this work

Conflict of Interests: The authors declared no competing financial interests.

Acknowledgments: This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 82373840) and the Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases (Grants BM2013003 and ZZ2009).

^*correspondence to: Xiuli Zhang; zhangxl@suda.edu.cn, or Yong Luo; yluo@dlut.edu.cn

High-Entropy Antibacterial Materials

High-entropy materials (HEMs), composed of five or more principal elements in near-equimolar ratios, have emerged as robust, multifunctional platforms for antimicrobial applications. This review introduces the fundamental principles and structural features of HEMs, focusing on their entropy-driven stability and synergistic properties. Four principal antibacterial mechanisms are discussed: Controlled release of biocidal metal ions, efficient photothermal sterilization, catalytic or oxide-mediated generation of reactive oxygen species, and electrostatic interactions resulting in contact killing. Representative studies illustrate how composition and microstructure can be engineered to optimize antimicrobial efficacy without sacrificing material integrity. The review then summarizes recent progress in applying high-entropy antibacterial materials across diverse areas, including biomedical implants and nanozymes for infection control and cancer therapy, self-disinfecting surfaces for public health, advanced catalysts for wastewater treatment, and antifouling, anticorrosion coatings for marine environments. Finally, current challenges, such as the complexity of compositional design and the need for comprehensive biosafety and environmental impact evaluation, are highlighted, alongside future directions involving computational design, multidisciplinary characterization, and scalable manufacturing. High-entropy antibacterial materials thus present a transformative strategy for addressing pathogenic threats, offering durable and broad-spectrum protection in a wide range of applications.

Xue, Peng-Wei^a,1; Chang, Yu-Ling^b,1; Wang, Chun^a,c; Sun, Ge-Ting^a; Gao, Rui-Ting^d; He, Cheng-Yu^a,*; Gao, Xiang-Hu^a,c,*

^aKey Laboratory of Energy Conservation and Energy Storage Materials of Gansu Province, Research Center for Resource Chemistry and Energy Materials, State Key Laboratory of Solid Lubrication, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China.

^bExamination Centre of the First Affiliated Hospital of Shihezi University, Shihezi 832008, China

^cCenter of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.

^dCollege of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Low Carbon Catalysis, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010021, China.

¹These authors contributed equally.

^*Corresponding E-mail: hechengyu@licp.cas.cn (C.-Y. He); gaoxh@licp.cas.cn (X.-H. Gao)

Biomedical Applications of Polymer Porous Materials: Design, Properties, and Future Perspectives

Polymer porous materials (PPMs) are an emerging class of functional biomaterials characterized by tunable pore structures, high specific surface areas, and favorable physicochemical properties. This review highlights the classification of PPMs into inorganic, organic, and organic–inorganic hybrids, with a focus on how structural features influence their biomedical performance. Due to their unique architecture and biocompatibility, PPMs have shown significant potential in various biomedical applications, including drug delivery systems, tissue engineering scaffolds and implantable devices, biosensors, and membranes for functional coating and separation systems. For drug delivery, biodegradable and stimuli-responsive PPMs offer controlled and targeted drug release while minimizing adverse effects. In tissue engineering, PPM-based scaffolds support cell adhesion, proliferation, and extracellular matrix deposition, which would subsequently promote functional tissue regeneration. For biosensing, the high surface-to-volume ratio and selective permeability of PPMs enhance detection sensitivity and specificity. Furthermore, recent advances in responsive hydrogels, antifouling filtration membranes, and bioactive coatings underscore their clinical translation potential. Despite rapid development, challenges such as precise control over pore size, mechanical-biological trade-offs, and long-term safety still remain. Addressing these limitations is critical for advancing PPMs toward clinical application in regenerative medicine, smart therapeutics, and diagnostic technologies.

Wang, Yuhan^a,c; Wang, Ruiling^c; Zhao, Qing^c; Tian, Yi-Le^b; Li, Kai^c; Liu, Li-Yuan^b; Zhao, Nian^c; Jiang, Shuxin^c; Zhu, Yuchun^a,c,*; Li, Niannian^a,c,*; Wu, Hao^d,*; Deng, Xudong^b,*; Wang, Xue-Ting^a,b,c,*

^aSchool of Clinical Medicine, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang 261000, Shandong Province, China

^bKey Laboratory for Space Bioscience and Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710129, China;

^c Weifang People’s Hospital, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, Shandong 261000, China

^dMax Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz, Germany

Author contributions: Yuhan Wang contributed to conceptualization and writing-original draft; Ruiling Wang contributed to data curation; Qing Zhao and Yi-Le Tian cointributed to investigation; Kai Li, Li-Yuan Liu and Nian Zhao contributed to resources; Shuxin Jiang contributed to the formal analysis; Yuchun Zhu and Niannian Li contributed to supervision; Xudong Deng contributed to supervision, writing-review & editing. Xue-Ting Wang contributed to supervision, writing-original draft, writing-review & editing.

Funding: This work was supported by Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation Youth Project (No. ZR2024QC085), National Natural Science Foundation of China International (Regional) Cooperation Project (No. 32261160571).

Conflicts of interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

^*Corresponding authors

Advances in Organic Photoactive Materials with Aggregation-Induced Emission Characteristics for Tumor Theranostics

Organic photoactive materials exhibit considerable potential in enhancing the precision of tumor diagnostics and therapeutics, owing to their distinctive photophysical characteristics and adaptable functional properties. Among these, aggregation-induced emission (AIE) materials exhibit superior performance attributes, including aggregation-enhanced fluorescence, robust photostability, and reduced background interference, thereby significantly enhancing the sensitivity of tumor imaging and therapeutic outcomes. This review focuses on the recent advancements in the design and application of AIE-based organic photoactive materials for tumor diagnostics and therapeutics. We elaborate on innovative design strategies centered on specific targeted subcellular organelle localization, tumor microenvironment-triggered activation, tunable emission wavelengths, and the integration of photoimmunotherapeutic functionalities. Moreover, this article presents a forward-looking perspective on the future development landscape of this field, emphasizing the critical role of organic photoactive materials in enhancing tumor theranostic. It also provides strategic guidance to facilitate the clinical translation of photodiagnostic approaches.

Chen, Chen; Wu, Ping; Zhao, Feifan; Han, Yuanyuan; Lu, Xiaoli; Yu, Huan; Huang, Lingyan; Chen, Xiaoying; Ma, Haijun¹

Key Lab of Ministry of Education for Protection and Utilization of Special Biological Resources in Western China, School of Life Sciences, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China. E-mail: mahj@nxu.edu.cn

State Key Laboratory of High-efficiency Utilization of Coal and Green Chemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China. E-mail: chenxiao18@nxu.edu.cn

General hospital of Ningxia medical university, Yinchuan 750004, China.

Acknowledgment: We thank the financial support from the Natural Science Foundation of Ningxia Province (2023AAC05027 and 2024AAC05045), National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 22406096, 52303189 and U22A20144), Key Research and Development Program of Ningxia (2024SFZD004 and 2023BEG02023).

Notes: The authors declare no competing financial interest.