From Bioactive Selenium Nanoparticles to Multifunctional Dermatological Platforms: Mechanism-Guided Design and Translational Challenges.

Skin diseases are characterized by complex pathophysiology and substantial clinical heterogeneity. Their onset and progression involve multiple interconnected processes, including oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, disruption of the skin barrier, microbial dysbiosis, and impaired tissue repair, which often limit the ability of conventional therapies to achieve sustained disease control. Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) offer distinct advantages in dermatological treatment by combining the intrinsic biological activities of selenium, such as redox regulation and immunomodulation, with the engineering versatility of nanomaterials. However, therapeutic approaches that rely solely on the inherent bioactivity of SeNPs are increasingly insufficient to address the complexity of disease-associated microenvironments. Accordingly, the development of SeNPs into intelligent, multifunctional therapeutic platforms has emerged as an important direction in this field. Existing reviews have largely focused on the biological functions, preparation methods, or broad biomedical applications of SeNPs, whereas the engineering principles underlying their transition from intrinsically active nanomaterials to intelligent dermatological therapeutic platforms have not been systematically examined. This review therefore focuses on how the intrinsic functions of selenium can be translated, through materials and delivery engineering, into platform-level capabilities relevant to the treatment of skin diseases. By linking disease-specific pathological features and delivery barriers with corresponding design strategies, we propose a mechanism-guided framework for the rational development of SeNP-based dermatological nanomedicines.