Can nitric oxide-responsive polymers enable precision therapeutics for ageing?

Disruptions in nitric oxide homeostasis, characterised by endothelial dysfunction, neurodegeneration, metabolic decline, and chronic inflammation represent a hallmark of the ageing process. These pathological features led to the development of NO-responsive polymeric systems which exploit the endogenous gasotransmitter fluctuations for offering therapeutic and diagnostic applications. This commentary highlights the advances in NO-responsive polymers, which undergo NO-triggered self-assembly or disassembly, fluorescence activation for intracellular NO imaging, NO scavenging, and site-specific drug release. Although critical challenges still persist, including tissue-specific variability in NO levels and validation in clinically relevant ageing models, the contemporary advances in polymer engineering and design aim to translate these intelligent biomaterials towards ageing-targeted precision therapeutics.