Next-generation Electroactive Biomaterials for Tissue Engineering: Design and Applications

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About this Research Topic

Background

The design of functional biomaterials that mimic the extracellular matrix and are capable to support and direct cell growth and differentiation is recognized as a successful approach in tissue engineering and micro-physiological systems. Compared to traditional non-responsive (bio)materials, stimuli-responsive, and electroactive ones, have drawn increasing attention due to the possibility not only to support but also to modulate cell behavior and accelerate cell differentiation and tissue maturation/regeneration, exploiting the endogenous bioelectricity of cells and tissues. Electroactive materials are increasingly being used as scaffolds, sensors, and actuators finding application in neurosciences due to their ability to deliver electrical signals to the cells and tissues, spinal cord and peripheral nerve repair, bone tissue engineering, and cardiac tissue engineering among others. They have also been used to establish in vitro systems that have contributed to increasing our understanding of the interactions between the adopted materials, cells, and the applied stimulus. In silico models have also been growingly developed to understand such systems.

At present, a wide range of intrinsically conducting polymers, or electrically conductive polymer composites upon blending with 1D conductive materials (e.g., carbon quantum dots, gold nanoparticles, metal oxides) or 2D conductive materials (e.g., carbon nanotubes, graphene/graphene oxide, MXenes), are being investigated. However, next-generation electroactive biomaterials, whether 3D scaffolds, conduits, hydrogels, coatings, or nanoparticles, are expected to combine the ability to trigger the regenerative process with additional functionalities, such as the ability to deliver drugs or therapies in a localized manner according to feedback loop mechanisms, to be degraded on demand by external stimuli, to be activated wirelessly or to record electrophysiological signals in real-time. However, this extremely exciting research field is still in its infancy. Many important aspects still need to be evaluated, such as long-term biocompatibility or the possibility of translation into the clinic, or better elucidated, such as in-depth comprehension of the role of electrical currents at the cellular and sub-cellular level. New tools to this end are being developed and will allow us to gain new knowledge.

The scope of this collection is therefore to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of the art regarding different designs, fabrication strategies, safety, and applications of electroactive biomaterials, as well as to highlight the most promising advanced solutions other than suggest the future direction in the field.

The call is open (but not limited to) both original and review articles on the following topics:
• Intrinsically conductive biomaterials or conductive polymer composites for tissue regeneration.
• Cell maturation, proliferation, and viability on electroactive biomaterials.
• Stem cell differentiation upon electrical stimulation.
• Accelerated neuronal polarization induced by electrical stimulation.
• Biomaterials based on piezoelectric nanoparticles.
• Safety in vitro and in vivo.
• Biodegradation and biosorption of electroactive biomaterials.
• Novel strategies for the design and fabrication of electroactive biomaterials.
• Wireless powering of electroactive biomaterials.
• Study of charge transport in electroactive biomaterials.
• Effect of electrical conduction on passive and active (i.e. during charge transport) protein and cell adsorption on the surface of electroactive biomaterials.
• in vitro model/micro physiological systems
• In silico studies/modeling interaction physical stimulation/material/cells

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

  • Brief Research Report
  • Case Report
  • Data Report
  • Editorial
  • General Commentary
  • Hypothesis and Theory
  • Methods
  • Mini Review
  • Opinion

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

  • Brief Research Report
  • Case Report
  • Data Report
  • Editorial
  • General Commentary
  • Hypothesis and Theory
  • Methods
  • Mini Review
  • Opinion
  • Original Research
  • Perspective
  • Review
  • Systematic Review
  • Technology and Code

Keywords: conductive scaffolds, piezoelectricity, graphene, PEDOT:PSS, electronic conduction, ionic conduction, electro(magnetic) stimulation, simulation

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