Physicochemically-guided immunomodulatory biomaterials for regulating immune responses in rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease that severely impairs the quality of life of patients owing to its complex immunopathological mechanisms and persistent joint damage. In recent years, the application of biomaterials in regulating immune responses in RA has attracted extensive attention, particularly regarding the regulatory effects of their physicochemical properties, including surface chemistry, mechanical properties, and morphology, on immune cell behavior and the inflammatory microenvironment. Current studies have revealed that rationally designed biomaterials can modulate inflammatory responses by influencing the activation, differentiation, and signaling pathways of immune cells, thereby providing novel insights into RA treatment. However, the specific regulatory mechanisms underlying different physicochemical properties remain incompletely elucidated, and related research still faces challenges related to material biocompatibility and immune specificity. This article systematically reviews the latest advances in the research of biomaterial physicochemical properties in the field of RA immunomodulation, analyzes the mechanisms of their action in regulating the immune microenvironment, and discusses the potential and future directions of biomaterial-based immunomodulatory strategies in clinical applications to provide theoretical basis and technical support for the development of precision immunotherapy.