Bridging the gender gap in autoimmunity with T-cell–targeted biomaterials.

Autoimmune diseases are caused by malfunctions of the immune system and generally impact women at twice the frequency of men. Many of the most serious autoimmune diseases are accompanied by a dysregulation of T-cell phenotype, both regarding the ratio of CD4+ to CD8+ T-cells and proinflammatory versus regulatory phenotypes. Biomaterials, in the form of particles and hydrogels, have shown promise in ameliorating this dysregulation both in vivo and ex vivo. In this review, we explore the role of T-cells in autoimmune diseases, particularly those with high incidence rates in women, and evaluate the promise and efficacy of innovative biomaterial-based approaches for targeting T-cells. [Display omitted] • Autoimmune diseases impact more women than men and are underrepresented in research. • Imbalance of T-cell populations is inherent to most autoimmune diseases. • Biomaterials have been designed to rebalance the ratio of CD4+/CD8+ T-cells ex vivo. • Biomaterials have been designed to rebalance Treg/Th17 T-cell phenotypes in vivo. • Next-gen materials can target rebalancing CD4+/CD8+ ratio and phenotype concurrently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]