Medical textiles have evolved from passive gauze and sutures into intelligent, biointegrated platforms capable of sensing, responding, and regenerating. However, existing reviews typically focus on single application areas (e.g. drug delivery or wound dressings), leaving a gap in integrated frameworks that connect materials design, fabrication, sensing, and closed-loop therapeutic action. This review provides a comprehensive, critical analysis across the entire translational pipeline, from stimuli-responsive polymers and conductive nanomaterials to electrospun scaffolds, wearable e-textiles, and theragnostic wound platforms. Key innovations covered include: (i) pH-, enzyme-, and thermo-responsive textile drug delivery with quantitative release kinetics; (ii) biomimetic scaffolds (lotus, spider silk, and gecko) replicating native ECM; (iii) e-textiles integrating physical, bio-potential, and biochemical sensors; and (iv) closed-loop theragnostic dressings that autonomously detect infection and trigger drug release. Unlike prior reviews, we systematically address regulatory pathways (FDA and MDR), sustainability (lifecycle analysis), and clinical translation barriers (power autonomy, washability, scalability, and procurement/reimbursement pathways). We conclude that while laboratory prototypes demonstrate extraordinary capabilities, clinical adoption requires standardized testing, scalable manufacturing, and large-scale validation. This review offers materials scientists, bioengineers, and clinicians a roadmap for developing next-generation intelligent textile platforms for predictive, personalized, and regenerative medicine.
Geotextiles are used for various traditional civil engineering applications, including reinforcement, filtration, separation, drainage, and sealing. With advancements in sensor technology, advanced geotextiles are developed using fibre optic sensors, thereby acting as smart materials that respond to changes in external conditions. Fibre optic-based sensors can monitor changes in temperature, pore pressure, humidity, and physical and chemical changes on the geotechnical structure, and repairs can be done earlier, which results in cost savings as well as saving lives. Intelligent geotextiles can be utilized simultaneously as sensors and reinforcement applications but the advantages of these sensors have to be set against the fact that they are expensive, and are not always reliable in that results can be influenced by moisture or electromagnetic interference. Natural fibre-based geotextiles are environmentally-friendly materials, but their performance can be further improved by various chemical modifications. One of the issues with such chemical treatments is their adverse environmental impact. This issue of Textile Progress discusses high-performance geotextiles, intelligent geotextiles, and natural fibre-based geotextiles and their modifications. Some of the important functional properties of geotextiles are discussed along with their applications in soil conservation, reinforcement, filtration, separation, and drainage. The environmental impacts of geotextiles and of micro- and nano-plastics from the geotextiles are also discussed.
The global increase in bio-waste generation due to rapid population growth, industrialization, and urbanization presents both environmental challenges and opportunities. Valorising bio-waste into advanced technical textiles offers a sustainable solution by reducing environmental burden while addressing the demand for high-performance materials. This issue of Textile Progress explores the prospects for various bio-waste sources including agricultural residues, food industry by-products, livestock waste, and marine biomass to be transformed into functional fibres, biopolymers, nanomaterials and coatings. Such bio-waste-derived materials have the potential to exhibit desirable characteristics such as biodegradability, thermal insulation, antimicrobial activity, and mechanical strength, making them suitable for diverse textile applications. Innovative fibre extraction methods and valorisation techniques are highlighted, including mechanical, chemical, and enzymatic treatments, and nanomaterial synthesis. The environmental and economic impacts of bio-waste-management strategies are also examined, emphasizing the potential of circular economy practices. Despite recent advances, challenges such as scalability, material consistency, and processing limitations remain. This issue of Textile Progress aims to provide a comprehensive overview of bio-waste applications in technical textiles, supporting the development of sustainable materials that minimize dependence on petroleum-based products and contribute to eco-friendly industrial practices.
Smart wearable systems are characterised by their ability to automatically detect the activity and behavioural status of the users, as well as the situation around them, and to use this information to adjust the system's configuration and functionality, whilst e-textiles are an emerging technology and have attracted attention because of their various applications in the military/defence field, sports, healthcare, fashion, and wearable technology. This issue of Textile Progress offers an extensive examination of the current landscape of e-textiles, focusing on their types, conductive materials, fabrication methods, applications, and the challenges and futures facing e-textiles. Regarding fabrication methods, this review shows that an e-textile can be developed using conductive components and conductive materials via fibre-spinning (wet, melt, and electro spinning) incorporated by weaving, knitting, printing, coating or embroidering, and by conductive adhesives. It also acknowledges the main challenges that need to be addressed in fabrication so as to utilise the full potential of e-textiles including washability, seamless fabrication, weight and flexibility, cost, and being powered in such a way as to be self-driven. Possible futures of smart e-textiles are discussed and gaps in the research are identified.
This review explores the evolution and challenges of firefighter hoods, emphasizing protection and comfort. Firefighter hoods are critical components of personal protective equipment (PPE), shielding against thermal hazards and airborne particulates. Traditional hoods prioritized thermal insulation but lacked effective particulate filtration, increasing firefighters' exposure to hazardous substances and carcinogens in smoke. Recent advancements, spurred by updates in National Fire Protection Association standards in the US, introduced particulate-blocking hoods that enhance both filtration and thermal protection. However, challenges remain in balancing protection with comfort, as new designs often cause heat stress, mobility limitations, and poor ergonomic fit. Furthermore, real-world testing is crucial to address gaps in evaluating hoods' interaction with other PPE, such as helmets and the self-contained breathing apparatus. This issue of Textile Progress emphasizes the need for comprehensive performance assessments that integrate laboratory-based and real-life testing to optimize hood design and indicates that future research should target ergonomic improvements, enhanced particulate filtration, and contamination risks during donning and doffing. It provides insights for PPE manufacturers, researchers, and fire safety policymakers, to guide the development of hoods that meet safety standards while improving firefighter comfort and operational performance. Such advancements are vital for reducing long-term health risks, including cancer, caused by smoke particulate exposure.
