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From molecular networks to the clinic: a systems biology-nanomedicine roadmap for osteoarthritis diagnosis, regeneration, and safety-by-design

Dortaj H, Asoudeh-Fard A, Alizadeh A, Vaez A, Gholami A

Discover nano, 2026

Abstract

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a severe, whole-joint illness that is characterized by the permanent destruction of articular cartilage. The failure of traditional therapies and early tissue engineering efforts is mainly due to their reductionist biological strategies and reliance on bulk, non-biomimetic materials that cannot replicate the complex nanoscale architecture of the native extracellular matrix. This review proposes a closed-loop, multidisciplinary roadmap that integrates systems biology and biomimetic nanomedicine to advance OA diagnosis, cartilage regeneration, and nanomaterial safety-by-design. Systems biology, through the application of high-throughput omics data and computational network modeling, identifies the complex transcriptomic and proteomic disturbances that underlie OA and provides accurate molecular blueprints for intervention. Nanotechnology makes these plans real in the physical world in two different ways. Ultra-sensitive systems, such as microfluidic lab-on-a-chip devices and Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) sensors, enable real-time detection of preclinical nanobiomarkers for diagnostic purposes. Engineered nanostructures, such as biomimetic nanocomposites, topographically optimized electrospun scaffolds, and stimuli-responsive nanocarriers, provide specific biophysical and biochemical signals that can restore chondrogenesis by stopping catabolic inflammation from a therapeutic perspective. Finally, as a translational bridge, we highlight the…

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