This review examines how biomaterial properties — including surface chemistry, topography, mechanics, porosity, and degradation profiles — can be engineered to modulate macrophage recruitment and phenotype, with a focus on programmable systems offering spatiotemporal control over immune signaling.
The review synthesizes evidence that biomaterial design can shift macrophage behavior to improve outcomes in chronic inflammation, fibrosis, impaired wound healing, and tumor progression; specific quantitative outcomes are not reported, as this is a narrative review.
- No original experimental data; conclusions rely on synthesis of existing literature. - Full text was not available for extraction, limiting detail on specific studies cited. - Translational challenges (design, characterization, clinical implementation) are discussed conceptually without head-to-head comparisons.
Clinicians developing or evaluating implantable devices, wound care scaffolds, or local drug delivery systems should be aware that biomaterial physical and chemical properties directly shape the macrophage immune response — a design lever with real therapeutic potential. Programmable biomaterials targeting macrophage polarization are an active translational frontier worth tracking for future clinical tools.
Explore related topics
