{
  "abstract": "Itaconate is a bioactive immunometabolite with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties. Its unsaturated dicarboxylic structure allows for versatile polymerization and chemical functionalization. These characteristics make it a promising building block for bioactive hydrogels. However, current research on itaconate-based hydrogels is fragmented across immunology, polymer chemistry, and biomedical engineering, with a lack of a unified design framework. In this review, we summarize the biological properties of itaconate and its derivatives relevant to biomaterial design, including immunomodulatory effects and antimicrobial activity. We categorize itaconate-based hydrogels into two main strategies: those directly fabricated from itaconate or its analogues, and those loaded with itaconate or itaconate derivatives such as 4-octyl itaconate (4-OI) and dimethyl itaconate (DMI). We explore the relationships between composition, crosslinking chemistry, responsiveness, biological functions, and therapeutic applications in drug delivery, tissue repair, inflammatory diseases, and anti-infective therapy. We also highlight critical limitations, including insufficient structure-function comparisons, overreliance on small-animal models, limited mechanistic validation, and challenges in manufacturing, stability, biosafety, and clinical translation. This review presents a conceptual framework for the rational design of itaconate-based hydrogels and outlines key priorities for advancing these materials toward clinical translation as bioactive and immunomodulatory hydrogel platforms.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Translational Medicine Center, Honghui Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710054, China. mzcl0310@163.com.",
    "Xi'an Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis and Precision Treatment of Arthritis, Xi'an, 710054, China. mzcl0310@163.com.",
    "Translational Medicine Center, Honghui Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710054, China.",
    "Xi'an Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis and Precision Treatment of Arthritis, Xi'an, 710054, China.",
    "Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Biomedical Metallic Materials, Northwest Institute for Non-ferrous Metal Research, Xi'an, 710016, China.",
    "Translational Medicine Center, Honghui Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710054, China. yanghao71_99@yeah.net."
  ],
  "article_type": "review article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 6,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Min Wang",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-4574-1411"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2,
        3
      ],
      "name": "Jiachen Wang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2,
        3
      ],
      "name": "Guoqiang Wang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "Mi Chen"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Jing An"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        5
      ],
      "name": "Hao Yang"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/ffmk7ny2vw1qs.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1186/s12951-026-04862-9",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13700303",
  "id": "ffmk7ny2vw1qs",
  "issns": [
    "1477-3155"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42928264",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "1313|Hydrogels: synthesis, properties, applications"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7171657075",
  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13700303?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13700303",
  "pmid": "42928264",
  "published": "2026-07-29",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/ffmk7ny2vw1qs.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:21:18Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42928264",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42928264"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:1313|Hydrogels: synthesis, properties, applications",
      "subfield": "general"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Itaconate-based hydrogels for immunomodulation and infection control: design strategies, biomedical applications, and translational challenges.",
  "title_text": "Itaconate-based hydrogels for immunomodulation and infection control: design strategies, biomedical applications, and translational challenges.",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:21:18Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/ffmk7ny2vw1qs",
  "venue": "Journal of nanobiotechnology",
  "versions": []
}