He Ye, Xia Jianping, Mai John D H, Upreti Neil, Lee Luke P, Huang Tony Jun
Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA.
Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
Sci Adv. 2025 Jul 18;11(29):eadu4759. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adu4759.
Mechanical forces constantly stimulate cellular functions and influence their response behaviors. Similar to how an orchestra's music synchronizes an audience, acoustic technologies have emerged as precise, contact-free tools to study cellular responses. These platforms generate forces at appropriate length and frequency scales, enabling precise interactions with cells. Recent advancements highlight their potential for regulating cellular functions, revealing both therapeutic promise and the need for further biochemical exploration. This review summarizes the progress in using acoustic technologies to orchestrate cellular functions in vitro through mechanical stimulation. We first introduce the main categories of acoustic platforms and their working principles in cellular research. Subsequently, we explore the fundamental mechanisms linking acoustics to specific cellular interactions. We then review recent applications of these technologies in precisely modulating cellular functions for therapeutic purposes. Last, we discuss strategies to enhance their performance and efficacy, along with their potential integration with other biomedical tools.
机械力不断刺激细胞功能并影响其反应行为。类似于管弦乐队的音乐使观众同步，声学技术已成为研究细胞反应的精确、非接触式工具。这些平台在适当的长度和频率尺度上产生力，从而能够与细胞进行精确的相互作用。最近的进展凸显了它们在调节细胞功能方面的潜力，既显示出治疗前景，也表明需要进一步进行生化探索。本综述总结了利用声学技术通过机械刺激在体外协调细胞功能方面的进展。我们首先介绍声学平台的主要类别及其在细胞研究中的工作原理。随后，我们探索将声学与特定细胞相互作用联系起来的基本机制。然后，我们回顾这些技术最近在精确调节细胞功能以用于治疗目的方面的应用。最后，我们讨论提高其性能和功效的策略，以及它们与其他生物医学工具潜在整合的情况。
