Living cell-mediated in-situ polymerization for biomedical applications

Synthetic polymers have been widely utilized in biomedical applications by controlling their physicochemical characteristics and enhancing their biocompatibility. As natural polymers produced by cells generally show undesirable mechanical and physical properties with the risk of potential protein denaturation, synthetic polymers offer a more controllable platform for specific applications in biomedicine with distinctive properties and functionality. With the development of biochemical technology and polymer science, cell-mediated in-situ polymerization including polymerization inside cells and on the surface of cells, instead of direct transferring synthetic polymers to cells, has received much research interest. In this review, we summarize the polymerization methods used for living cell-mediated in-situ polymerization including radical polymerization, step-growth polymerization, and oxidative polymerization. Furthermore, the biological effects induced by these polymers against living cells and animals are also discussed. We hope this review could stimulate more research and collaborations among researchers in the fields of materials science, polymer chemistry, and biology to promote the use of polymer-based theranostics in practical applications and clinical trials.