Themed collection Celebrating ten years of Journal of Materials Chemistry B

Past and present Editors-in-Chief and Editorial Board Chairs introduce the 10th anniversary issues of Journal of Materials Chemistry A, B and C, reflecting on the rich history of the journals and looking ahead to the exciting future of materials chemistry.

In this perspective, we outline a new opportunity for exploiting nanoparticle delivery of antagonists to target G-protein coupled receptors localized in intracellular compartments.

This review accounts recent advances in fabrication, supramolecular assembling, 3D printing of microgels, and their applications in cell culture, drug delivery, antibacterial and tissue engineering.

Designing chemical composites using advanced nanomaterials results in micro/nanorobots with exceptional autonomous navigation ability and bio-chemical functionality.

The conventional microbubble-based ultrasound biomedicine clinically plays a vital role in providing the dynamic detection of macro and microvasculature and disease theranostics.

Cellulose is the most abundant biopolymer with outstanding mechanical robustness, biocompatibility, renewability and surface chemistry, which is an ideal biotemplate for biomineralizing hierarchical nanostructures for biomedical applications.

Nanocomposites for delivering the CRISPR/Cas toolkits into cell and animal models for genome engineering.

Nanotubes and water-filled channels arising from self-assembling dipeptides display interesting physico-chemical and electronic properties that find potential applications spanning from drug delivery and medicine, to bioelectronics and bioimaging.

The traditional preparation methods and emerging synthetic methods of Prussian Blue-based nanomaterials are summarized in this review, providing a reference for the design and biomedical application of PB-based nanomaterials.

The synthesized strategies of Au/Ag@UNCPs nanocomposites and relevant properties which endow the designed nanoparticles edges in the biological diagnosis.

We report a simple bioinspired strategy of protein cohabitation for long-term functional storage of therapeutic proteins at room temperature.

Hyaluronic acid-based hydrogels conjugated with a fibrinogen linker were found to contribute to faster scaffold degradation via active enzymatic breakdown, paving the pathway for use in a variety of multi-purpose tissue engineering applications.

Inspired by spider silk's hierarchical diversity, we leveraged peptide motifs and functional nanofillers to modulate the mechanical properties of a conventional polymer framework via specific matrix–filler interactions.

Glioblastoma cells co-cultured with astrocytes in col-HA hydrogels exhibit changes in migration patterns. 3D in vitro models using ECM mimetic materials can be used to analyze glioma-astrocyte crosstalk.

AMC@SiO₂ core@shell nanocarriers (AMC: amikacin) with 200 nm AMC core, 20 nm silica shell, and unprecedented AMC load (80%) show high activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium abscessus as pulmonal, often multiresistant bacteria.

A theranostic nanoplatform (DBNPs) was developed via co-assembly of near infrared boron dipyrromethene and choline phosphate lipid. The elaborate molecular design and supramolecular assembly endowed DBNPs with desirable phototherapeutic effect.

Se substitution could enhance electrophilicity of the complexes due to strong polarization and improve radiotherapy therapeutic efficiency by triggering ROS-mediated DNA damage, which provides a strategy as radiosensitizer for nasopharyngeal carcinoma and cancer treatment.

Hybrid nanoparticles comprising a plasmonic gold nanorod core, silica spacer and outer iron oxide shell were prepared and used for antibody-driven cell separation and selective photo-induced hyperthermia.

A multifunctional neural device has been developed by integrating microfabricated flexible microelectrodes and electrodeposited NaYF₄:Yb³⁺: Er³⁺ up-conversion films, allowing simultaneous electrophysiological recording and near-infrared optogenetics.

A core–shell MN platform with controllable CO photoproduction was fabricated. Effervescent design enabled efficient CO generation and enhanced drug permeation. The CO-sensitized chemotherapeutic MNs had great curative efficiency for melanoma.

Cowpea mosaic virus adjuvants bind to irradiated cancer cells (ICCs) – the co-delivery of ICCs (the antigen) and CPMV (the adjuvant) demonstrates potent efficacy as a vaccine that protects mice from ovarian tumor challenge.

We have shown that clotrimazole formulations encapsulated in polyether-based unimolecular micelles have significantly higher antitumour activity than the drug itself.

An interpenetrating network design was used to enhance the toughness of PEG-based hydrogel coatings to resist damage during surgical handling.

A theoretical framework is presented to describe the electrochemical response of ionic conductors for use as strain and temperature sensors. This framework can be used to design sensors for in bioelectronics and soft robotics applications.

The succulent plant-like bioceramic scaffolds inspired by the macroscopic structure of succulent plants could improve cellular crosstalk and enhance bone regeneration.

Through the introduction of excited-state intramolecular proton transfer as a non-radiative transition to promote a photothermal effect, the DPVA platform showed excellent antibacterial behaviour against drug-resistant bacteria.

A 3D printed strontium zinc-phosphate scaffold is a versatile candidate for bone tissue engineering due to multiple bioactivities including osteogenesis, angiogenesis, immunomodulation and anti-bacterial activity.

Photo-reactive polymers affect the interaction of immobilized EGF with the cells as the immobilizing matrices.

Preparation process of the EGCG-loaded 3D printed scaffold and its in vitro biological evaluation for low-load bearing patient-specific bone implants.

Amphiphilic phosphorous dendron micelles can be developed to co-deliver microRNA inhibitor and doxorubicin to augment triple negative breast cancer therapy.

A thermally responsive hydrogel loading ionic liquid microemulsion (IL-ME) facilitates transdermal delivery of methotrexate (MTX). The loading of the MTX-containing IL-ME on the Gel led to a significant increase in MTX permeation.