Myocardial infarction causes structural damage that impairs both the mechanical and electrophysiological functions of the heart. Modulating the mechanical and electrical properties of biomaterials represents a promising strategy for myocardial repair. This review systematically outlines the mechanisms and design principles of such regulation through three integrated approaches: mechanical modulation, electrical modulation, and mechano-electrical coordination. Mechanically, tuning stiffness, elasticity, and anisotropy enhances cellular alignment, tissue integration, and structural support. Electrically, regulating conductivity and anisotropy facilitates synchronous signal propagation and functional restoration. The coordinated strategy enables synergistic optimization of mechanical and electrical properties, thereby improving repair outcomes. Furthermore, biomimetic in vitro models, including cardiac organoids and heart-on-a-chip systems, provide physiologically relevant platforms for evaluating material performance. This review provides foundational insights and design principles for advancing myocardial repair via mechano-electrical biomaterial engineering.

Radiation-induced lung injury (RILI) is a severe side effect associated with radiotherapy for thoracic tumor. RILI is a complex pathological process encompassing early-stage pneumonia and late-stage pulmonary fibrosis, and the process is irreversible. Current research predominantly focuses on early-stage radiation pneumonia, while effective therapeutic approaches for pulmonary fibrosis remain lacking. Therefore, a comprehensive therapeutic strategy addressing both pneumonia and fibrosis is urgently needed for RILI. Micro-nano carriers offer new opportunities for inhalable drug delivery to the lungs, enabling efficient transport across multiple biological barriers for the treatment of pulmonary diseases. Herein, we developed an inhalable microsphere system, RP@BDC, with multilevel responsiveness, designed to meet the size requirements for pulmonary drug delivery and to intervene the entire progression of RILI. Resveratrol and siPAI-1 were chosen as therapeutic agents to inhibit inflammation and fibrosis-related proteins. Chitosan-based nanoparticles (RP@DC) were prepared to enhance drug stability and permeability. CaCO₃ biomineralization endowed RP@BDC with acid-responsive particle size transformation properties. RP@BDC microspheres demonstrated excellent responsiveness, releasing drug-loaded nanoparticles in response to the radiation-induced acidic environment, thereby exerting therapeutic effects. In an RILI mouse model, RP@BDC effectively alleviated both radiation-induced inflammation and pulmonary fibrosis by reducing inflammatory factors production and inhibiting plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) expression. Furthermore, RP@BDC exhibited superior therapeutic efficacy compared to conventional corticosteroids drug. Overall, our multilevel responsive delivery platform offers a promising therapeutic strategy for the comprehensive treatment of RILI.

Atmospheric particulate matter (PM) is a dominant source of air pollution, in particular, molecules less than 2.5 μm in diameter, endangering human health. An estimated 2.1 million deaths from exposure to PM_2.5 and 700,000 cases of respiratory disease caused by atmospheric pollution were reported on an annual basis. The main components of PM_2.5 include heavy metal elements, water-soluble ions, carbon aerosols, ozone, and organic compounds. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are a large group of representative pollutants among the organic compounds absorbed in PM_2.5. PFASs are widely used in industrial production and hardly degraded in the environment, resulting in their accumulation in water, food, and air, and abosorbed by humans via ingestion and inhalation. On the other hand, accumulation of PFAS in the human body is proving to be associated with some unfavorable health outcomes, whereas the mechanisms underlying the effects of PFAS exposure on human lung diseases remain unclear at present. The toxicological effects of organic components are a significant focus of research. This review will fix our attention on the changes in the distribution, composition, and content of PFAS in PM_2.5 by location and year, and provide an overview on the influence of PM_2.5 and PFAS on lung health, with indications of possible synergistic adverse effects of PM_2.5 and PFAS on pulmonary homeostasis.