Volume 2 Issue 5, May 2024

The clinical translation of therapeutics on the basis of human gut microorganisms is hampered by our limited knowledge of how microbes survive and adapt to fluctuating conditions in the gut. The systematic exploration of gut microbiome survival strategies and trade-offs will thus enable the design of more efficient microbiome-based interventions.

Micro- and nanorobots present a promising approach for navigating within the body and eliminating biofilm infections. Their motion can be remotely controlled by external fields and tracked by clinical imaging. They can mechanically disrupt the biofilm matrix and kill the dormant bacterial cells synergistically, thereby improving the effectiveness of biofilm eradication.

The Navion, a clinical-scale electromagnetic navigation system, is the result of over 20 years of development. Its motivation began in 2003 with the goal of controlling the motion of magnetic microrobots; however, its first clinical use is proving to be for guiding magnetic catheters, guidewires and endoscopes.

An article in Communications Engineering reports a 3D real-time magnetic particle scanner suitable for brain imaging at the patient’s bedside in intensive care units.

An article in Nature Communications reports the implications of anti-PEG immune reactions for PEG-based hydrogel implants and tissue engineering applications.

Mechanoneural interfaces combine surgically modified soft tissues and artificial components to enhance peripheral neural signalling for the reconstruction of bionic limbs. This Review discusses different mechanoneural interface architectures and presents preclinical and clinical evidence of their afferent and efferent properties.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are reshaping antibiotic discovery. In this Review, ML approaches that have been and can be used to address issues hindering antimicrobial peptide identification and development are surveyed.

This Review discusses how biomaterials might enhance the production and delivery of adoptive cell therapies for cancer and other diseases. Eckman et al. emphasize fundamental material and biochemical properties that enable the development of timely, safe and effective therapies.

Traditional urinalysis relies on endogenous biomarkers, which have limited diagnostic sensitivity and specificity. This Review discusses molecular optical probes that interact with disease biomarkers in vivo and produce artificial urinary biomarkers, which are excreted into urine for remote urinalysis.