Advances in Electrical Materials for Bone and Cartilage Regeneration: Developments, Challenges, and Perspectives

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Regenerative Medicine
• Bioelectricity

Background:

• Traumatic bone and cartilage defects present significant treatment challenges with poor prognoses.
• Endogenous electric fields (EnEF) play a vital role in natural bone regeneration processes.
• Electrical stimulation (ES) is an emerging therapeutic strategy for enhancing tissue repair.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive review of bioelectric signals in bone and cartilage cells.
• To summarize recent advancements in electrical biomaterials for tissue engineering.
• To investigate the impact of electrical biomaterials and ES on bone and cartilage regeneration.

Main Methods:

• Review of literature on electrical biomaterials, including nanogenerators, piezoelectric materials, triboelectric scaffolds, and zwitterionic hydrogels.
• Analysis of studies on endogenous and exogenous electrical stimulation (ES) effects.
• Investigation of cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying ES responses.

Main Results:

• Electrical biomaterials, such as nanogenerators and piezoelectric scaffolds, are advancing tissue engineering.
• ES, both endogenous and exogenous, significantly impacts bone and cartilage cell behavior and regeneration.
• Understanding ES-induced cellular responses is key to optimizing therapeutic strategies.

Conclusions:

• Electrical biomaterials offer a promising avenue for treating severe bone and cartilage defects.
• Future ES systems require integration of structural, mechanical, and electrical properties for intelligent implantable scaffolds.
• Further research into ES mechanisms can accelerate clinical translation in regenerative medicine.