Smart Biomaterials for Precision Medicine: From Targeted Nanodelivery to Gene and Tissue Engineering

A special issue of Journal of Functional Biomaterials (ISSN 2079-4983). This special issue belongs to the section "Biomaterials for Drug Delivery".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2026 | Viewed by 291

Editors


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Guest Editor
1. Dipartimento di Scienze Biotecnologiche di Base Cliniche Intensivologiche e Perioperatorie, Sezione di Biochimica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
2. Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli—IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
Interests: drug design; drug delivery; protein interactions
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Smart biomaterials are rapidly transforming the landscape of regenerative medicine and advanced therapeutics. Moving beyond their traditional role as passive structural supports, modern biomaterials are increasingly engineered as multifunctional platforms capable of responding to biological stimuli, delivering therapeutic agents with spatial and temporal precision, modulating gene expression, and actively directing tissue repair and regeneration.

This Special Issue aims to showcase recent advances in the design, characterization and biomedical application of smart biomaterials for targeted delivery and regenerative medicine. Particular emphasis will be placed on innovative systems integrating nanotechnology, biomaterials engineering, gene and nucleic acid delivery, cell-based therapies, tissue engineering and biofabrication approaches. Contributions addressing injectable biomaterials, bioresponsive hydrogels, nanocomposite scaffolds, biomaterial-assisted gene therapies, 3D bioprinting, advanced drug delivery systems and translational regenerative strategies are especially welcome.

While substantial literature exists on individual classes of biomaterials or specific regenerative applications, the convergence of smart materials, precision delivery technologies and bioengineering is generating a new generation of therapeutic platforms capable of controlling molecular, cellular and tissue-level processes simultaneously. This Special Issue seeks to provide a multidisciplinary forum highlighting these emerging trends, fostering dialogue between materials scientists, bioengineers, biologists and clinicians, and accelerating the translation of next-generation biomaterials toward clinical practice.

You may choose our Joint Special Issue in Applied Sciences.

Dr. Wanda Lattanzi
Dr. Alessandro Arcovito
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • smart biomaterials
  • targeted nanodelivery
  • gene delivery
  • gene therapy
  • tissue engineering
  • regenerative medicine
  • biofabrication
  • functional hydrogels

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

49 pages, 1984 KB  
Review
Hydrogel Implementing Drug Delivery in Cranial Bone Tissue Engineering
by Martina Salvati, Alessia Vita, Alessandro Arcovito, Ornella Parolini, Federica Tiberio and Wanda Lattanzi
J. Funct. Biomater. 2026, 17(8), 401; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb17080401 - 14 Aug 2026
Viewed by 48
Abstract
Cranial bone defects remain a significant clinical challenge due to their limited intrinsic regenerative capacity and the complexity of coordinating osteogenesis, angiogenesis, and immune responses within a confined and poorly vascularised environment. Conventional approaches, including autologous grafts and synthetic implants, provide structural support [...] Read more.
Cranial bone defects remain a significant clinical challenge due to their limited intrinsic regenerative capacity and the complexity of coordinating osteogenesis, angiogenesis, and immune responses within a confined and poorly vascularised environment. Conventional approaches, including autologous grafts and synthetic implants, provide structural support but fail to actively modulate the biological processes required for effective bone regeneration. In this context, hydrogel-based systems have emerged as versatile platforms for localized and controlled drug delivery in cranial bone tissue engineering (BTE). This review provides a comprehensive overview of hydrogel-based delivery strategies designed to regulate the spatiotemporal presentation of bioactive agents within cranial defects. The main classes of hydrogels, natural, synthetic, semi-synthetic, and hybrid systems, are discussed in relation to their physicochemical properties and suitability for drug delivery applications. Current delivery approaches are analysed, including cell-free systems (growth factors, peptides, bioactive ions, nucleic acids, and small molecules drugs), cell-based platforms, and multifunctional systems integrating secondary carriers such as nanoparticles (NPs), microparticles (MPs), and extracellular vesicles (EVs). Particular emphasis is placed on how hydrogel design parameters, including crosslinking density, degradation kinetics, and responsiveness to microenvironmental cues, govern therapeutic release and influence regenerative outcomes. Emerging strategies and key translational challenges are also highlighted. Full article
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