Volume 3 Issue 10, October 2025

Dendrimers are precisely structured macromolecules with unique architectural symmetry and multivalency, offering a promising solution to the delivery challenges of nucleic acid therapeutics. Here, we explore recent advances in dendrimer design that enable targeted delivery to hard-to-transfect cells and difficult-to-reach tissues.

Biophotonics technologies, such as photoacoustic imaging, two-photon microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, optical coherence tomography, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and imaging, enable non-invasive clinical skin diagnostics by providing structural, functional and biochemical information. This Comment explores their clinical potential, highlighting key advances and challenges to overcome in translating them into routine dermatological diagnostic tools.

Nanotechnology-based platforms are being explored for the delivery of therapeutics directly to the lungs through inhalation. However, to ensure translational relevance between preclinical animal models and human applications, it is essential to accurately quantify and report the lung-deposited dose, rather than relying solely on the nominally administered dose.

The PTeye is a label-free, intraoperative optical device that uses near-infrared autofluorescence to confirm the real-time identification of parathyroid glands during surgery. Developed without venture capital, it exemplifies how academic–industry collaboration can bring light-based technologies to the clinic.

An article in Nature Communications reports a magnetically guided biohybrid microrobot system for active and efficient pneumonia therapy in vivo.

The administration of therapeutics for chronic disease management faces challenges like precise dosage control and timely delivery. This Review explores how smart closed-loop systems can address these issues by integrating real-time biosensing with automated drug delivery, highlighting advancements in wearable and implantable technologies, artificial intelligence-enhanced control algorithms and the integration of synthetic biology for personalized, adaptive therapies.

This Review discusses wearable ultrasound technology, covering device design, integration, clinical applications and translational potential. It highlights key barriers to wide deployment and explores future development directions from scientific, engineering and clinical perspectives.

The features of smart devices such as smartphones and smart watches, including speakers, microphones and other sensors, can be leveraged for the design of mobile medical systems. This Review discusses acoustic-based, vision-based and sensor fusion systems that rely on smart device hardware and software for remote health and disease assessment.

Owing to advances in genome sequencing and editing, a genome can now be redesigned, synthesized and introduced into cells as desired. This Review discusses plant genome synthesis, highlighting bottom-up genome design, large-fragment assembly and site-directed targeting.

Genomic research has been transformed by genome databases, epigenetic discoveries and precise editing, yet linking genetic and epigenetic changes to cellular phenotypes remains challenging. In this Review, we explore the principles, components and applications of image-activated cell sorting (IACS) and discuss how it can address these limitations by enabling high-rate, real-time image-based sorting.