Emerging nanomedicine upshot: Reprogramming cellular dormancy for tissue regeneration

Trends in regenerative medicine are transforming the field by moving beyond simple repair to actively reprogram cellular and tissue environments. This review explores new approaches that integrate nanotechnology, metabolic regulation, and immune engineering to improve the regeneration of tissues that are otherwise difficult to regenerate. Advances in nanocarrier designs, such as lipid nanoparticles, ROS-sensitive polymers, hydrogels, and extracellular vesicles, have enabled the rapid, responsive, and precise delivery of therapeutic agents to targeted areas, including fibrosis, chronic inflammation, and tissue damage. Concurrently, metabolic reprogramming strategies that restore mitochondrial function and redox balance, and modify key metabolites, can temporarily rejuvenate aged or dysfunctional cells and boost their regenerative capacity. Immune modulation, especially the control of macrophage polarisation in space and time, is also vital for regeneration. Nanoparticle-driven regulation of the M1-to-M2 macrophage transition can enhance inflammation resolution and tissue repair. Overall, these advancements mark a move toward multifunctional, dynamic therapeutic systems that not only reduce damage but also direct regenerative processes at the molecular, cellular, and tissue levels. The review highlights the potential of nanomedicines to target dormant regenerative pathways as a promising therapeutic strategy, aiming to overcome barriers including molecular, epigenetic, inflammatory, and microenvironmental challenges to facilitate the body's natural tissue regeneration.