Precision Biomaterials: Incorporating Sex, Age, and Social Descriptors in Biomaterials Research
Year: 2026
Type: editorial
Abstract: RecommendationsA s the demand for precision medicine continues to rise, the "one size fits all" approach to designing biomaterials to understand/study/consider diseases and injuries is becoming increasingly outdated.1 Biomaterial approaches have significant potential for transforming precision medicine, and individual patient complexity often necessitates integrating multiple functions into a biomaterial approach to customize therapies successfully.The objective of this special issue is to report on the rapid progress that has been made as the field more broadly adopts integrating sex, age, and social descriptors (such as ancestry) into biomaterials research.Over the past decade, we have championed the integration of sex, 2-15 age, 16 and social descriptors [17][18][19][20] into biomaterials research.Through these efforts by us and others, the field continues to grow by:• Conducting fundamental studies of biomaterial-cell/ tissue interactions considering sex, age, and/or ancestry as biological variables.• Designing and developing tissue and disease models for women's health.• Including sex, age, and/or ancestry as biological variables in drug and gene delivery.• Resolving demographic differences in tissue composition and/or biomechanics.In this special issue, we highlight these latest research efforts in biomaterial technologies that enable the evaluation of sex, age, and social descriptors as biological variables, including in vitro and in vivo approaches, to improve understanding of how these variables contribute to health and disease.The eight articles in this special issue contributed by early career and senior researchers expand, reflect, and offer insights to elevate sex, age, and social descriptors in biomaterials science and engineering.
Authors: Bryan D. James, Brian A. Aguado, Erika Moore
Language: English
Topic: Sex and Gender in Healthcare
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W7134287453