2603003513
  • Open Access
  • Review

Interfacial Engineering of Biofunctional Materials for Soft Tissue Repair

  • Xueyan Li 1,   
  • Xinyu Wang 1,   
  • Meimeng Dai 1,   
  • Lisi Liu 1,   
  • Urszula Stachewicz 2,   
  • Jianyong Yu 1,   
  • Xiaoran Li 1,*,   
  • Bin Ding 1,*

Received: 05 Feb 2026 | Revised: 23 Mar 2026 | Accepted: 30 Mar 2026 | Published: 31 Mar 2026

Abstract

Interfacial materials provide an emerging platform for regulating biomaterial-tissue interactions to improve the therapeutic efficacy. Herein, this review systematically examines the lasted progress in interfacial engineered biomaterials, emphasizing the design principles and the benefits for soft tissue repair. This review begins with a discussion on material selection, structural design, and functionalization aimed to steer the biophysical, chemical, and biological interactions at the interfaces. Then, the basic regulatory strategies are highlighted, including mechanical modulation, intermolecular interaction regulation, and microenvironment tuning. Additionally, the applications of the functional interfacial materials in diverse soft tissues are discussed. Finally, this review offers the current challenges for interface design, and proposes future directions for improving therapeutic outcomes and translation.

Graphical Abstract

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Li, X.; Wang, X.; Dai, M.; Liu, L.; Stachewicz, U.; Yu, J.; Li, X.; Ding, B. Interfacial Engineering of Biofunctional Materials for Soft Tissue Repair. Materials and Interfaces 2026, 3 (1), 52–73. https://doi.org/10.53941/mi.2026.100006.
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