Biomaterial-Based Strategies for Gout Therapy: Recent Advances, Current Challenges, and Future Perspectives - A Review.

Gout is a complex and progressive inflammatory disease caused by the deposition of monosodium urate (MSU) crystals. Recent research on the application of biomaterials in gout treatment has shown promising potential. Biomaterials, with their unique biocompatibility, controlled release properties, and targeted delivery capabilities, offer significant advantages in enhancing drug solubility and bioavailability, reducing systemic adverse effects, and enabling more precise and stage-specific therapeutic intervention. In this review, we systematically categorize the various biomaterials applied in gout therapy over the past five years, including nano-drug delivery systems, microneedle drug delivery systems, and novel biomaterial-based therapeutics for gout treatment. We highlight the design principles, construction strategies, and mechanisms of action associated with each type of biomaterial. By comparatively analyzing the functions of different biomaterial platforms, this review further summarizes their potential therapeutic roles, relative advantages, and current limitations in gout management. In addition, we discuss currently used gout-related animal models and their relevance to preclinical evaluation, and synthesize emerging therapeutic targets that may guide future biomaterial design. Overall, this review highlights both the opportunities and the translational challenges of biomaterial-based strategies for gout therapy, providing insights for the development of more targeted, effective, and clinically relevant therapeutic approaches.