Novel bioconjugate materials: synthesis, characterization and medical applications
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Bioconjugation is a pillar of modern medicine, enabling the likes of targeted therapeutics and sensitive diagnostics by exploiting synergies between biomolecules and functional materials. Conjugation techniques have expanded to match an evolving materials discovery landscape, fueling a new wave of bioconjugates. Despite the breadth of conjugate literature, most reviews describe common and relatively simple substrates such as metal nanoparticles or polymers. This review therefore centers around novel materials including biological (e.g., viral capsids, live cells), hybrid (e.g., gold-decorated nanoparticles, covalent-organic frameworks), and synthetic (e.g., piezoelectrics, upconverting nanoparticles) substrates. Applications in cancer and viral therapy, tissue engineering, optogenetics, antimicrobials, diagnostics, advanced imaging, and related topics are explored, revealing trends in conjugation approach. This review also compares characterization techniques used to confirm and optimize conjugation before offering perspectives on the future of the field. By shedding light on the latest materials, applications, and analytical methods, we hope to empower researchers to harness bioconjugation for transformative medical innovations.
Date Issued
2025-12-08
Date Acceptance
2025-10-01
Citation
Adv. Healthcare Mater., 2025, 14 (31)
ISSN
2192-2640
Publisher
John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Journal / Book Title
Adv. Healthcare Mater.
Volume
14
Issue
31
Copyright Statement
© 2025 The Author(s). Advanced Healthcare Materials published by Wiley-VCH GmbH This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
License URL
Identifier
https://doi.org/10.1002/adhm.202500303
Subjects
bio-bio conjugation
bioconjugation
diagnostics
nanozymes
novel materials
targeted therapy
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
e00303
Date Publish Online
2025-10-23