The review explores the chemical tools and strategies to synthesize bioactive, DNA-based biomaterials. The focus is on the applications of DNA as a generic and not a genetic polymer in biomedical, environmental, and electrochemical fields.

Exploring new avenues for clinical management of chronic wounds holds the key to eliminate socioeconomic burdens and health-related concerns associated with this silent killer. Engineered biomaterials offer great promise to...

Considerable progress has been made in synthesizing "intelligent", biodegradable hydrogels that undergo rapid changes in physicochemical properties once exposed to external stimuli. These advantageous properties of stimulus-triggered materials make them highly appealing to diverse biomedical applications. Of late, research on the incorporation of light-triggered nanoparticles (NPs) into polymeric hydrogel networks has gained momentum due to their ability to remotely tune hydrogel properties using facile, contact-free approaches, such as adjustment of wavelength and intensity of light source. These multi-functional NPs, in combination with tissue-mimicking hydrogels, are increasingly being used for on-demand drug release, preparing diagnostic kits, and fabricating smart scaffolds. Here, the authors discuss the atomic behavior of different NPs in the presence of light, and critically review the mechanisms by which NPs convert light stimuli into heat energy. Then, they explain how these NPs impact the mechanical properties and rheological behavior of NPs-impregnated hydrogels. Understanding the rheological behavior of nanocomposite hydrogels using different sophisticated strategies, including computer-assisted machine learning, is critical for designing the next generation of drug delivery systems. Next, they highlight the salient strategies that have been used to apply light-induced nanocomposites for diverse biomedical applications and provide an outlook for the further improvement of these NPs-driven light-responsive hydrogels.

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Current nanostructured biomaterials-based drug delivery vehicles for bone regeneration applications often show suboptimal cellular uptake and inferior drug loading. To overcome these challenges, we have developed a biomimetic cell-derived nanoparticle (CDN) loaded with the Food and Drug Administration-approved small-molecule therapeutic Dexamethasone, to induce osteogenic differentiation in human adipose-derived stem cells. The drug-loaded CDNs were cytocompatible, maintained hydrodynamic stability with uniform spherical shape and size, and exhibited high-percentage drug loading along with rapid cellular uptake and stem cell differentiation. These results demonstrate for the first time the preparation of Dexamethasone-loaded CDNs capable of directing stem cell fate for advanced bone regeneration applications.