Biomaterials and Nanomedicine for Mucosal Repair and Inflammation Control in Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome: An Extensive Review

Int J Nanomedicine. 2026 Jul 15;21:617670. doi: 10.2147/IJN.S617670. eCollection 2026.

ABSTRACT

Interstitial cystitis (IC), also known as bladder pain syndrome (BPS), is a chronic and devastating urologic disease. Its characteristics include the damage to the barrier function of bladder mucosa, inflammation related to nerve activity and chronic pelvic pain. Traditional treatments often only alleviate symptoms and cannot fundamentally treat this disease. This has inspired to seek new opportunities and strategies to use biomaterials and nanomedicine to reverse tissue damage and pain in patients with this disease. In this review, we comprehensively summarized the latest advances in innovative strategies for bladder mucosal repair and inflammation modulation. This includes glycosaminoglycan mimetics, nanomaterial-based drug delivery systems, stem cells and exosome-based nanomedicine, platelet-rich plasma, and other emerging nanomaterial-related therapeutic approaches. Moreover, we also explored their potential mechanisms of action, valuable results from preclinical and clinical studies, current challenges, and future possibilities for clinical applications. This review may promote the prospect of targeted multifunctional strategies to improve the clinical treatment of IC/BPS.

PMID:42473557 | PMC:PMC13380952 | DOI:10.2147/IJN.S617670