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As one of the main elements in the living organisms, phosphorus makes an important impact on the life activity. Phosphorus contained compounds have been widely applied in the biomedical field. As nanotechnology develops, a variety of phosphorus-based nanomaterials have also been developed for the biomedical application. The recently discovered superior biological property of two-dimensional black phosphorus (2D BP), i.e. phosphorene, including low toxicity and biodegradability, makes it especially outstanding, such as biosensors for the disease diagnosis. Upon light or ultrasound irradiation on the phosphorene, reactive oxygen species (ROS) or heat can be generated for the disease therapy. Moreover, phosphorene can smartly and efficiently deliver drugs. Thus, it is suitable in many single or combined therapy modalities. This short article reviews the progress from phosphorus to phosphorene to be used as biomedical materials, especially the phosphorene as the biosensor and sensitizer for the disease diagnosis and therapy, including the tumor, the neurodegenerative disease, the bone disease and other diseases. The challenges and prospective of the phosphorene for the biomedical applications are also discussed.

Nanomaterials are playing an advancing critical role in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of today’s human problems. By engineering with multi-active probes including biocompatible molecules, drugs, and target ligands, nanomaterials are able to inhibit or enhance the immune responses and prevent the detection ability of the immune system, thus treating autoimmune diseases. The present discussion systematically reviews the recent progress to treat autoimmune inflammation using nanomaterials of 0D, 1D, 2D, and composite systems. In addition, emphasis has laid on the using of nanomaterials-based immunotherapeutic strategies and the related autoimmune pathogenesis. Briefly discussions on current challenges and speculates on future directions have been provided to complement our drawbacks of present treatments on the basis of fascinating nanomaterials and novel nanotechnologies.

Borophene is composed purely of boron atoms and arranged in a hexagonal structure with conventional covalent bonds between each boron atom. Recently, researchers have shown a burgeoning research interest in borophene, not only regarding industrial applications but also in the field of biomedicine. Here, we provide an up-to-date summary of the recent advances in borophene-based nano-medicine. We firstly introduce the structural, mechanical, electrical, optical, thermal conductivity, biocompatibility, toxicity, photothermal and photodynamic effects of borophene. Subsequently, we fully discuss the differences between borophene, MXenes and graphene synthesized using traditional methods. Finally, we review the emerging use of borophenes as biosensors and therapeutics. We used strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats (SWOT) analysis to assess both the current and future marketing potential of 2D based nanomaterials in cancer therapeutics. Current challenges and future perspectives for the use of borophene are additionally discussed.