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Living Hydrogels: Harnessing Microorganism-Material Synergy for Next-Generation Therapeutics
Shuifang Mao1,2, Bingyao Bai2, Xingqian Ye2,3,4
1Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
Advanced Science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany)
|April 2, 2026
Summary
Living hydrogels encapsulate probiotics, enhancing their stability and targeted delivery for improved biomedical therapies. These advanced materials offer precise control and sustained release for applications in gut health, wound healing, and cancer treatment.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Microbiology
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Microorganism-based therapies, especially probiotics, offer unique living functionalities for biomedical applications.
- Direct probiotic administration faces challenges like poor viability, limited retention, and lack of precise control.
- Hydrogel encapsulation enhances microbial stability, retention, and controlled therapeutic delivery.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide a comprehensive overview of living microorganism-encapsulated hydrogels (living hydrogels).
- To emphasize the dynamic interactions and synergistic mechanisms within hydrogel-microorganism systems.
- To illustrate the biomedical applications and future clinical translation challenges of living hydrogels.
Main Methods:
- Review of materials and design strategies for constructing living hydrogels.
- Analysis of hydrogel-microorganism synergistic interactions.
- Exploration of applications in gastrointestinal disease, wound healing, and cancer therapy.
Main Results:
- Hydrogel matrices effectively enhance probiotic viability, in vivo retention, and spatiotemporal control.
- Synergistic interactions between hydrogels and microorganisms enable diverse therapeutic outcomes.
- Living hydrogels show promise in modulating gut microbiota, accelerating wound healing, and cancer immunotherapy.
Conclusions:
- Living hydrogels represent a next-generation biomaterial with significant therapeutic potential.
- Their multifunctionality and controlled delivery mechanisms address limitations of conventional probiotic therapies.
- Further research is needed to overcome challenges for successful clinical translation.
