Biomaterial-Driven Therapeutic Strategies for the Integrated Management of Obesity

Obesity has emerged as a formidable global health challenge, necessitating the development of sophisticated therapeutic strategies. While conventional interventions ranging from lifestyle modifications to bariatric surgery and drugs are well-established, their long-term efficacy is frequently undermined by weight recidivism, inherent surgical risks, and complex clinical management requirements. Biomaterials offer transformative platforms for anti-obesity therapy due to their tailorable architectures, inherent multifunctionality, and precise controllability. In this review, we explore recent advancements in biomaterial-driven interventions for obesity. First, we detail and summarize the underlying design principles and classification of diverse delivery systems, including nanocarriers, macroscopic hydrogels, and microneedle patches, as well as the therapeutic mechanisms of bioactive compounds and energy-conversion materials. We then systematically delineate three primary axes of biomaterial-driven interventions for obesity, namely the metabolic regulation of adipose tissue, the regulation of gastrointestinal functions, which reduces nutrient absorption and maintains gut microbiota homeostasis, and neural regulation that inhibits appetite. Finally, we discuss current bottlenecks and future directions in clinical translation, emphasizing precision targeting, multi-mechanism synergistic and personalized design to establish a robust theoretical and technical support for the integrated management of obesity.