Microfluidic Synthesis of Pharmacologically Responsive Supramolecular Biohybrid Microgels

Translating Therapeutic Microgels into Clinical Applications

Microgels are crosslinked, water-swollen networks with a 10 nm to 100 µm diameter and can be modified chemically or biologically to render them biocompatible for advanced clinical applications. Depending on their intended use, microgels require different mechanical and structural properties, which can be engineered on demand by altering the biochemical composition, crosslink density of the polymer network, and the fabrication method. Here, the fundamental aspects of microgel research and development, as well as their specific applications for theranostics and therapy in the clinic, are discussed. A detailed overview of microgel fabrication techniques with regards to their intended clinical application is presented, while focusing on how microgels can be employed as local drug delivery materials, scavengers, and contrast agents. Moreover, microgels can act as scaffolds for tissue engineering and regeneration application. Finally, an overview of microgels is given, which already made it into pre-clinical and clinical trials, while future challenges and chances are discussed. This review presents an instructive guideline for chemists, material scientists, and researchers in the biomedical field to introduce them to the fundamental physicochemical properties of microgels and guide them from fabrication methods via characterization techniques and functionalization of microgels toward specific applications in the clinic.

Upgrading biomaterials with synthetic biological modules for advanced medical applications

One key aspect of synthetic biology is the development and characterization of modular biological building blocks that can be assembled to construct integrated cell-based circuits performing computational functions. Likewise, the idea of extracting biological modules from the cellular context has led to the development of in vitro operating systems. This principle has attracted substantial interest to extend the repertoire of functional materials by connecting them with modules derived from synthetic biology. In this respect, synthetic biological switches and sensors, as well as biological targeting or structure modules, have been employed to upgrade functions of polymers and solid inorganic material. The resulting systems hold great promise for a variety of applications in diagnosis, tissue engineering, and drug delivery. This review reflects on the most recent developments and critically discusses challenges concerning in vivo functionality and tolerance that must be addressed to allow the future translation of such synthetic biology-upgraded materials from the bench to the bedside.