MXene nanomaterials have sparked significant interest among interdisciplinary researchers to tackle today's medical challenges. In particular, colloidal MXene quantum dots (MQDs) offer the high specific surface area and compositional flexibility of MXene while providing improvements to aqueous stability and material–cell interactions. The current study for the first time reports the development and application of immunoengineered tantalum‐carbide (Ta4C3Tx) MQDs for in vivo treatment of transplant vasculopathy. This report comes at a critical juncture in the field as poor long‐term safety of other MXene compositions challenge the eventual clinical translatability of these materials. Using rational design and synthesis strategies, the Ta4C3Tx MQDs leverage the intrinsic anti‐inflammatory and antiapoptotic properties of tantalum to provide a novel nanoplatform for biomedical engineering. In particular, these MQDs are synthesized with high efficiency and purity using a facile hydrofluoric acid‐free protocol and are enriched with different bioactive functional groups and stable surface TaO2 and Ta2O5. Furthermore, MQDs are spontaneously uptaken into antigen‐presenting endothelial cells and alter surface receptor expression to reduce their activation of allogeneic T‐lymphocytes. Finally, when applied in vivo, Ta4C3Tx MQDs ameliorate the cellular and structural changes of early allograft vasculopathy. These findings highlight the robust potential of tailored Ta4C3Tx MQDs for future applications in medicine.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death worldwide. Heart attack and stroke cause irreversible tissue damage. The currently available treatment options are limited to “damage-control” rather than tissue repair. The recent advances in nanomaterials have offered novel approaches to restore tissue function after injury. In particular, carbon nanomaterials (CNMs) have shown significant promise to bridge the gap in clinical translation of biomaterial based therapies. This family of carbon allotropes (including graphenes, carbon nanotubes and fullerenes) have unique physiochemical properties, including exceptional mechanical strength, electrical conductivity, chemical behaviour, thermal stability and optical properties. These intrinsic properties make CNMs ideal materials for use in cardiovascular theranostics. This review is focused on recent efforts in the diagnosis and treatment of heart diseases using graphenes and carbon nanotubes. The first section introduces currently available derivatives of graphenes and carbon nanotubes and discusses some of the key characteristics of these materials. The second section covers their application in drug delivery, biosensors, tissue engineering and immunomodulation with a focus on cardiovascular applications. The final section discusses current shortcomings and limitations of CNMs in cardiovascular applications and reviews ongoing efforts to address these concerns and to bring CNMs from bench to bedside.

Allograft Vasculopathy In article number 2106786, Sanjiv Dhingra and co‐workers demonstrate the development and application of immunoengineered tantalum‐carbide MXene quantum dots (MQDs) for the treatment of transplant vasculopathy. These MQDs are synthesized with high efficiency and purity using a hydrofluoric acid‐free protocol and are enriched with bioactive functional groups. The MQDs possess intrinsic immunomodulatory properties, are spontaneously uptaken into antigen‐presenting cells, and reduce activation of allogeneic T‐lymphocytes.

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