Recent advances of cellular stimulation with triboelectric nanogenerators
Xingyu Zhou,
Gaocai Li,
Di Wu,
Huaizhen Liang,
Weifeng Zhang,
Lingli Zeng,
Qianqian Zhu,
Puxiang Lai,
Zhen Wen,
Cao Yang,
Yue Pan
Affiliations
Xingyu Zhou
Department of Orthopaedics, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College Huazhong University of Science and Technology Wuhan China
Gaocai Li
Department of Orthopaedics, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College Huazhong University of Science and Technology Wuhan China
Di Wu
Department of Orthopaedics, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College Huazhong University of Science and Technology Wuhan China
Huaizhen Liang
Department of Orthopaedics, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College Huazhong University of Science and Technology Wuhan China
Weifeng Zhang
Department of Orthopaedics, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College Huazhong University of Science and Technology Wuhan China
Lingli Zeng
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong‐Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA Medicine Medical Research Center, Sun Yat‐sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐sen University Guangzhou China
Qianqian Zhu
Institute of Functional Nano and Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon‐Based Functional Materials and Devices Soochow University Suzhou China
Puxiang Lai
Department of Biomedical Engineering Hong Kong Polytechnic University Hong Kong China
Zhen Wen
Institute of Functional Nano and Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon‐Based Functional Materials and Devices Soochow University Suzhou China
Cao Yang
Department of Orthopaedics, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College Huazhong University of Science and Technology Wuhan China
Yue Pan
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong‐Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA Medicine Medical Research Center, Sun Yat‐sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐sen University Guangzhou China
Abstract Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) are new energy collection devices that have the characteristics of high efficiency, low cost, miniaturization capability, and convenient manufacture. TENGs mainly utilize the triboelectric effect to obtain mechanical energy from organisms or the environment, and this mechanical energy is then converted into and output as electrical energy. Bioelectricity is a phenomenon that widely exists in various cellular processes, including cell proliferation, senescence, apoptosis, as well as adjacent cells’ communication and coordination. Therefore, based on these features, TENGs can be applied in organisms to collect energy and output electrical stimulation to act on cells, changing their activities and thereby playing a role in regulating cellular function and interfering with cellular fate, which can further develop into new methods of health care and disease intervention. In this review, we first introduce the working principle of TENGs and their working modes, and then summarize the current research status of cellular function regulation and fate determination stimulated by TENGs, and also analyze their application prospects for changing various processes of cell activity. Finally, we discuss the opportunities and challenges of TENGs in the fields of life science and biomedical engineering, and propose a variety of possibilities for their potential development direction.