Potential effects of biomaterials on macrophage function and their signalling pathways

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Immunology
• Materials Science

Background:

• Biomaterial use in healthcare is rising.
• Macrophages are key immune cells influencing inflammation and tissue repair post-biomaterial implantation.
• Macrophage heterogeneity necessitates evaluating biomaterial effects on their phenotype.

Purpose of the Study:

• To comprehensively review how biomaterial characteristics influence macrophage immune responses.
• To elucidate the mechanisms governing macrophage-biomaterial interactions.
• To discuss future research directions in biomaterial-macrophage interactions.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of physicochemical, biological, and dynamic biomaterial properties.
• Summary of macrophage-biomaterial interaction mechanisms (endocytosis, receptors, signaling pathways, integrins, inflammasomes, long non-coding RNAs).

Main Results:

• Biomaterial properties critically regulate macrophage phenotype and polarization.
• Specific molecular and cellular mechanisms mediate macrophage-biomaterial interactions.
• Understanding these interactions is crucial for biomaterial design.

Conclusions:

• Developing novel biomaterials requires in-depth knowledge of their immunomodulatory effects on macrophages.
• This understanding can lead to advanced biomaterials for tissue repair, drug delivery, and immunotherapy.
• Future research should focus on spatiotemporal changes in macrophage phenotype induced by biomaterials.