Sonopiezoelectric Nanomedicine and Materdicine

Abstract

Endogenous electric field is ubiquitous in a multitude of important living activities such as bone repair, cell signal transduction, and nerve regeneration, signifying that regulating the electric field in organisms is highly beneficial to maintain organism health. As an emerging and promising research direction, piezoelectric nanomedicine and materdicine precisely activated by ultrasound with synergetic advantages of deep tissue penetration, remote spatiotemporal selectivity, and mechanical‐electrical energy interconversion, have been progressively utilized for disease treatment and tissue repair by participating in the modulation of endogenous electric field. This specific nanomedicine utilizing piezoelectric effect activated by ultrasound is typically regarded as “sonopiezoelectric nanomedicine”. This comprehensive review summarizes and discusses the substantially employed sonopiezoelectric nanomaterials and nanotherapies to provide an insight into the internal mechanism of the corresponding biological behavior/effect of sonopiezoelectric biomaterials in versatile disease treatments. This review primarily focuses on the sonopiezoelectric biomaterials for biosensing, drug delivery, tumor therapy, tissue regeneration, antimicrobia, and further illuminates the underlying sonopiezoelectric mechanism. In addition, the challenges and developments/prospects of sonopiezoelectric nanomedicine are analyzed for promoting the further clinical translation. It is earnestly expected that this kind of nanomedicine/biomaterials‐enabled sonopiezoelectric technology will provoke the comprehensive investigation and promote the clinical development of the next‐generation multifunctional materdicine.

Progress of Piezoelectric Semiconductor Nanomaterials in Sonodynamic Cancer Therapy

“…Conversely, when an electric field is applied along the polarization direction, the piezoelectric material undergoes deformation (converse piezoelectricity). 30 Specific material structures are required to generate piezoelectric effects.…”

“…The piezoelectric effect, first observed in 1880, is a phenomenon in which a piezoelectric material generates electronic polarization when subjected to mechanical stress (direct piezoelectricity). Conversely, when an electric field is applied along the polarization direction, the piezoelectric material undergoes deformation (converse piezoelectricity) . Specific material structures are required to generate piezoelectric effects.…”

Perspectives on recent advancements in energy harvesting, sensing and bio-medical applications of piezoelectric gels

“…Recent, reports presented the enhancement of hydrogel energy harvesting/sensing performance by the use of piezoelectric materials such as inorganic ceramic oxides. 71,332 In one such example, Ning and coworkers described a multichannel wireless sensor system based on a Gel-OCS-ABTO composite hydrogel, which demonstrated superior electrical performance along with exceptional flexibility, stretchability, and biocompatibility (Fig. 10a–g).…”

Sonocatalytic cancer therapy: theories, advanced catalysts and system design

“…Lacking central symmetry, negative and positive charge centers no longer coincide, contributing to polarization. 19,31–33 After the generation of negatively and positively polarized charges, they migrate to opposite sides of the piezoelectric material, establishing a built-in electric field and piezoelectric potential.…”