Living Hydrogels: Harnessing Microorganism-Material Synergy for Next-Generation Therapeutics

Abstract

Microorganism-based therapies, particularly those utilizing probiotics, have emerged as a powerful biomedical strategy owing to their inherent living functionalities. This review summarizes materials and design strategies for living microorganism-encapsulated hydrogels, emphasizing dynamic interactions and synergistic mechanisms between hydrogels and microorganisms. It further illustrates biomedical applications including gut microbiota modulation, wound healing, and microbial-induced immune regulation for cancer therapy, and discusses challenges and opportunities for clinical translation.