Osteoimmunomodulatory and Mechanobiology-Guided Biomaterials for Craniofacial and Alveolar Bone Regeneration
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Craniofacial and alveolar bone regeneration remains a major challenge due to the complex anatomical, mechanical and inflammatory environment of the oral cavity. Traditional biomaterials, largely designed for osteoconduction or osteoinduction, often fail to achieve predictable outcomes in vivo, highlighting the need for strategies that actively regulate the regenerative microenvironment. Recent advances in osteoimmunology and mechanobiology have highlighted the importance of immune responses and mechanical cues in bone regeneration. Redox processes provide an additional perspective for examining how the local microenvironment may modify these responses. In this review, we focus on osteoimmunomodulatory and mechanobiology-guided biomaterial design, discussing redox regulation where it informs immune–mechanical interactions and material function. We highlight key design strategies, including surface engineering, scaffold architecture, bioactive ion release, and immunoregulatory factor delivery, together with selected responsive biomaterials and extracellular vesicle-based delivery systems. Finally, we address the major challenges limiting clinical translation and discuss how material functions may be coordinated with the changing immune and mechanical requirements of repair, while identifying gaps between proposed mechanisms and available evidence.
Source: Biomedicines
Authors: Zhekai Hu, Yuqing Li, Yanfang Ren
Institutions: University of Rochester Medicine, Boston University
Language: English
Subfield: Biomedical Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,137
OpenAlex ID: W7225643762