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Biomaterial Engineering for Spatiotemporal Regulation of Exosome Functions: From Design Principles to Key
Shan Long1,2, Bo Wang3, Shaodong Tian1
1Department of Oncology, General Hospital of Hunan University of Medicine, No. 144, Jinxi South Road, Huaihua 418000, China.
Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)
|May 27, 2026
Summary
Biomaterial engineering can enhance exosomes for regenerative medicine by controlling their release and targeting. This approach aims to overcome limitations like rapid clearance and improve therapeutic outcomes in tissue repair.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterial engineering and regenerative medicine
- Nanotechnology and drug delivery systems
- Cellular signaling and tissue repair mechanisms
Background:
- Exosomes, nanoscale intercellular messengers, show promise in regenerative medicine due to their roles in inflammation, angiogenesis, immunoregulation, and tissue remodeling.
- Clinical translation of exosomes is hindered by systemic clearance, poor biodistribution, insufficient retention, and functional loss in pathological environments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose biomaterial engineering strategies for creating active regulatory platforms for exosomes, enabling precise spatiotemporal control.
- To review engineering approaches that enhance exosome function for regenerative medicine applications.
Main Methods:
- Summarizing engineering strategies in temporal (sustained, sequential, responsive release) and spatial (retention, anchoring, guidance, recruitment, targeted delivery) dimensions.
- Analyzing strategies using cutaneous wound healing, osteochondral regeneration, myocardial repair, and neural regeneration as examples.
- Examining the influence of engineered systems on key signaling pathways (PI3K/Akt, Wnt/β-catenin, NF-κB, PTEN/PI3K/Akt/mTOR).
Main Results:
- Biomaterials can control exosome release kinetics and localization to match tissue repair dynamics.
- Engineered platforms can improve exosome retention, target specific lesions, and recruit endogenous cells.
- Strategies influence critical signaling pathways involved in tissue regeneration.
Conclusions:
- Biomaterial engineering offers a framework for developing precision exosome therapies by addressing clinical translation challenges.
- Emerging directions include combinational systems, responsive platforms, and AI-assisted design for personalized exosome therapeutics.
- This review provides a design-oriented approach to accelerate the development of exosome-biomaterial hybrids for regenerative medicine.
