Probiotic-hydrogel systems for microbiome-associated diseases: design principles, preclinical evidence, and translational challenges.
5 affiliations
- 1Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Taiyuan, 030032, China.
- 2Cancer Center, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Taiyuan, China.
- 3Cancer Center, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Taiyuan, China. [email protected].
- 4Shanxi Provincial Key Laboratory for Translational Nuclear Medicine and Precision Protection, Taiyuan, 030032, China. [email protected].
- 5Shanxi Provincial People's Hospital, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China. [email protected].
Abstract
The human microbiome provides a robust ecosystem for mucosal barrier function, immune regulation, metabolism, and resistance to pathogen infection. Dysbiosis causes inflammatory bowel disease, oral inflammation, wound damage, skin disease, and cancer-related immune dysregulation. Current probiotic therapy is limited by low survival during storage and administration, low oral bioavailability, short retention time, and insufficient targeting. Probiotic-hydrogel systems combine viable microorganisms with natural or synthetic polymer networks to promote probiotic protection, local retention, and controlled release. They can also incorporate prebiotics, engineered bacteria, oxygen-releasing agents, antioxidants, growth factors, drugs, or advanced manufacturing techniques such as microfluidics and 3D printing. Recent preclinical studies suggest that probiotic-hydrogel can modulate local microbes, suppress pathogens, control inflammation, support barrier repair, and promote tissue regeneration. However, most evidence is far from clinical, and human data are limited to a small number of oral and periodontal applications. In this review, we summarize the design strategies, encapsulation approaches, mechanistic frameworks, disease-based evidence, and translational challenges of probiotic-hydrogel. In particular, we paid attention to evidence level, safety, manufacturing, regulatory classification, product stability, clinical trial design. Such issues need to be well understood before probiotic-hydrogel can move from experimental platforms to clinically applicable microbiome treatments.
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BibTeX
@article{zhou2026probiotichydrogel,
title = {{Probiotic-hydrogel systems for microbiome-associated diseases: design principles, preclinical evidence, and translational challenges.}},
author = {Yu Zhou and Guannan Zhang and Qinying Shi and Jialing Liu and Ying Lu and Jianbo Song},
journal = {Journal of biological engineering},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.1186/s13036-026-00740-y},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42958554},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Probiotic-hydrogel systems for microbiome-associated diseases: design principles, preclinical evidence, and translational challenges.
AU - Yu Zhou
AU - Guannan Zhang
AU - Qinying Shi
AU - Jialing Liu
AU - Ying Lu
AU - Jianbo Song
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/01
JO - Journal of biological engineering
DO - 10.1186/s13036-026-00740-y
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42958554
AB - The human microbiome provides a robust ecosystem for mucosal barrier function, immune regulation, metabolism, and resistance to pathogen infection. Dysbiosis causes inflammatory bowel disease, oral inflammation, wound damage, skin disease, and cancer-related immune dysregulation. Current probiotic therapy is limited by low survival during storage and administration, low oral bioavailability, short retention time, and insufficient targeting. Probiotic-hydrogel systems combine viable microorganisms with natural or synthetic polymer networks to promote probiotic protection, local retention, and controlled release. They can also incorporate prebiotics, engineered bacteria, oxygen-releasing agents, antioxidants, growth factors, drugs, or advanced manufacturing techniques such as microfluidics and 3D printing. Recent preclinical studies suggest that probiotic-hydrogel can modulate local microbes, suppress pathogens, control inflammation, support barrier repair, and promote tissue regeneration. However, most evidence is far from clinical, and human data are limited to a small number of oral and periodontal applications. In this review, we summarize the design strategies, encapsulation approaches, mechanistic frameworks, disease-based evidence, and translational challenges of probiotic-hydrogel. In particular, we paid attention to evidence level, safety, manufacturing, regulatory classification, product stability, clinical trial design. Such issues need to be well understood before probiotic-hydrogel can move from experimental platforms to clinically applicable microbiome treatments.
SN - 1754-1611
ER -