Research Progress on ROS Scavenging and Responsive Materials for Biomedical Applications

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) participate in essential physiological processes such as cellular signaling under normal conditions; however, their excessive accumulation under oxidative stress can induce various diseases. Addressing this challenge, the development of biomaterials capable of precisely regulating ROS levels is of great significance. This review systematically summarizes two classes of biomaterials for modulating oxidative stressROS-scavenging materials and ROS-responsive materialsfrom the perspective of material design principles, elucidating their underlying mechanisms and construction strategies, respectively. ROS-scavenging materials primarily include nanozymes, inorganic nanoparticles, natural antioxidants, and polymers rich in reactive functional groups, which exert antioxidant effects through sustained consumption of excess ROS. In contrast, ROS-responsive materials exploit responsive moieties such as phenylboronic esters, thioketals and diselenides to trigger structural disassembly or drug release within high-ROS microenvironments, thereby enabling spatiotemporally controlled on-demand delivery. Furthermore, this review also discusses the synergistic therapeutic potential of multiresponsive materials. Finally, the major challenges currently facing this field are summarized, and future directions for clinical translation are prospected.