Magnetoelastic vibrational biomaterials for real-time monitoring and modulation of the host response

Magnetoelastic (ME) biomaterials are ferromagnetic materials that physically deform when exposed to a magnetic field. This work describes the real-time control and monitoring capabilities of ME biomaterials in wound healing. Studies were conducted to demonstrate the capacity of the materials to monitor changes in protein adsorption and matrix stiffness. In vitro experiments demonstrated that ME biomaterials can monitor cell adhesion and growth in real-time, and a long-term in vivo study demonstrated their ability to monitor the host response (wound healing) to an implant and control local cell density and collagen matrix production at the soft tissue-implant interface. This approach represents a potentially self-aware and post-deployment activated biomaterial coating as a means to monitor an implant surface and provide an adjuvant therapy for implant fibrosis.