News & Comment

An article in Science reports a previously unrecognized gut microbiota-driven endocrine circuit that maintains Kupffer cell activation, thereby dictating the systemic efficiency of therapies delivered by nanocarriers.

An article in Nature Biomedical Engineering reports a bioresorbable flexible microneedle sensor array for continuous monitoring of organ function for at least 7 postoperative days.

Shape is often overlooked in the optimization of drug delivery processes. However, tailoring the external and internal shape of nanoparticles and microparticles may help to improve their accumulation at target sites and therapeutic performance.

Once largely a basic science discipline, mechanobiology has evolved into the field of mechanomedicine, shaping new approaches to disease detection, targeted therapies and tissue repair.

The commercialization of cultivated meat remains limited by the high cost of cell culture medium. Here, we discuss how multi-omics characterization and computational modelling can enable the design of cell line-specific, serum-free medium using valorized sources, offering improved cost-efficiency and sustainability.

An article in Technology in Cancer Research & Treatment reports the clinical evaluation of JULIETA, a portable, non-invasive, radiation-free device that uses bioimpedance spectroscopy and artificial intelligence to identify electrical tissue patterns associated with potentially malignant breast changes.

Human protein-based biomaterials facilitate the development of preclinical models that integrate predictive value and ethical responsibility. Metatissue uses decellularized extracellular matrix from placenta samples and human blood to create tunable, xeno-free substrates for 3D cell culture, minimizing the reliance on animal models and accelerating translational research.

This article describes FLEXI, a thin, low-cost and highly durable flexible AI chip that boosts computing speed by 27.5× while cutting power use to one-third of that of previous flexible chips.

An article in Nature Sensors reports the development of flexible, hair-like microelectrodes and explores their use in prothesis control.

Wearable cuffless blood pressure monitors can provide important diagnostic and prognostic insights for cardiovascular care. However, their safe and effective clinical adoption depends on rigorous, multi-framework validation strategies capable of ensuring accuracy, building clinical trust and supporting equitable global implementation.

Cells can respond to vibrational frequencies beyond physiological frequency ranges, including those in the ultrasonic domain. Independent, standardized experiments that probe mechanotransduction across frequencies and vibration modalities could clarify the underlying mechanisms that enable this broadband responsiveness.

Theranostics is evolving from standalone devices to co-ordinated multi-device networks. To advance beyond empirical design, we propose a quantitative cost-effectiveness framework for evaluating and optimizing cross-depth system architectures.

Bioengineering traditionally prioritizes device performance and reliability, treating environmental responsibility as an afterthought, thereby sidelining issues such as reversibility, equity and long-term environmental safety. Responsible innovation flips this hierarchy, placing sustainable design, built-in degradation and equitable distribution at the core from the beginning.

Integrating sex as a biological variable in bioengineering should not be viewed as a women’s health concern but as a requirement for reproducible, rigorous research that ultimately benefits everyone. But what does truly meaningful integration look like in practice?

Soft bioelectronics promise seamless human–machine integration but typically struggle to maintain reliable functionalities under long-term exposure to the body’s dynamic environment. Identifying the full spectrum of failure modes, while implementing multidimensional strategies to enhancing long-term stability, is key to achieving clinical-grade stability.

Placental organoids offer powerful tools to advance diagnostics and therapies for pregnancy complications including preeclampsia and fetal growth restriction. However, most current models rely on animal-derived materials and heterogenous cell sources. Developing human-based physiologically relevant organoid models is essential to understand disease phenotypes and improve clinical care for high-risk pregnancies.

Surgeons depend on a finely tuned multisensory system, in which vision and kinaesthesia work in synergy to manipulate tissue with precision. Translating this to robotic systems requires a hierarchical framework of artificial kinaesthesia, progressing from physical sensing to algorithmic understanding, and finally, to synergistic control.

Four-dimensional bioprinting of tissues goes beyond cellular constructs that evolve or mature over time. It should incorporate time as an active design parameter, enabling programmed and predictable transformations. This requires implementing shape-morphing behaviour, either within materials or cell–matrix composites, to control the construct’s transition in form or size.

When soft tissue is mechanically deformed, new material properties and functionalities can emerge. Through rational design of dynamic covalent chemistry and network architecture, new force-catalysed activities in hydrogels can be achieved, forming the basis of a ‘mechanochemical toolbox’ to expand the functionality of soft synthetic biomaterials.

A bioresorbable, light-activated polymer, integrated with a 3D-printed chamber, enables atraumatic and sutureless peripheral nerve repair. Translating this material platform from concept to clinical reality required iterative design, scalable manufacturing, multidisciplinary collaboration and long-term vision for a versatile surgical technology.