Swedish Medical Nanoscience Center, Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Division of Chemistry, Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
J Intern Med. 2017 Jul;282(1):24-36. doi: 10.1111/joim.12595. Epub 2017 Feb 9.
A major challenge in the growing field of bioelectronic medicine is the development of tissue interface technologies promoting device integration with biological tissues. Materials based on organic bioelectronics show great promise due to a unique combination of electronic and ionic conductivity properties. In this review, we outline exciting developments in the field of organic bioelectronics and demonstrate the medical importance of these active, electronically controllable materials. Importantly, organic bioelectronics offer a means to control cell-surface attachment as required for many device-tissue applications. Experiments have shown that cells readily attach and proliferate on reduced but not oxidized organic bioelectronic materials. In another application, the active properties of organic bioelectronics were used to develop electronically triggered systems for drug release. After incorporating drugs by advanced loading strategies, small compound drugs were released upon electrochemical trigger, independent of charge. Another type of delivery device was used to achieve well-controlled, spatiotemporal delivery of cationic drugs. Via electrophoretic transport within a polymer, cations were delivered with single-cell precision. Finally, organic bioelectronic materials are commonly used as electrode coatings improving the electrical properties of recording and stimulation electrodes. Because such coatings drastically reduce the electrode impedance, smaller electrodes with improved signal-to-noise ratio can be fabricated. Thus, rapid technological advancement combined with the creation of tiny electronic devices reacting to changes in the tissue environment helps to promote the transition from standard pharmaceutical therapy to treatment based on 'electroceuticals'. Moreover, the widening repertoire of organic bioelectronics will expand the options for true biological interfaces, providing the basis for personalized bioelectronic medicine.
生物电子医学领域面临的一个主要挑战是开发组织接口技术，以促进设备与生物组织的集成。基于有机电子学的材料由于具有独特的电子和离子导电性，因此具有很大的应用前景。在这篇综述中，我们概述了有机电子学领域的令人兴奋的发展，并展示了这些有源、电子可控材料的医学重要性。重要的是，有机电子学为控制许多设备-组织应用所需的细胞表面附着提供了一种手段。实验表明，细胞很容易附着并在还原但未氧化的有机电子学材料上增殖。在另一个应用中，有机电子学的有源特性被用于开发电子触发药物释放系统。通过先进的加载策略将药物掺入后，电化学触发后即可释放小分子药物，而与电荷无关。另一种输送装置用于实现阳离子药物的精确、时空控制释放。通过聚合物内的电泳输送，阳离子可以以单细胞精度进行输送。最后，有机电子学材料通常用作电极涂层，以改善记录和刺激电极的电性能。由于这种涂层大大降低了电极的阻抗，可以制造出具有更高信噪比的更小电极。因此，快速的技术进步与针对组织环境变化做出反应的微型电子设备的创建相结合，有助于将标准药物治疗转变为基于“电疗”的治疗。此外，有机电子学的不断扩大的组合将扩大真正生物界面的选择范围，为个性化生物电子医学提供基础。
