An international team of Russian and Chinese scientists has developed a 3D-printed bioresorbable implant based on magnetoelectric nanomaterials to stimulate the growth of blood vessels, bone and nerve tissue. The technology increased the rate of bone tissue formation by 4.6 times and the number of nerve fibres in the damaged area by 3.1 times. The electrical signal that stimulates tissue growth is generated directly inside the implant when exposed to an external magnetic field. This eliminates the need for electrodes and wired power sources, while the implant gradually dissolves in the body over time.
Electrical signals play an important role in the functioning of nerve cells and tissue regeneration. Conventional electrical stimulation requires electrodes to be placed in the target area and connected to an external power source. However, this procedure is invasive, increases the risk of infection and requires additional equipment. To address this challenge, the researchers proposed using magnetoelectric nanocomposites, which can generate an electrical charge directly inside the implant when exposed to a magnetic field.
Researchers from NUST MISIS and Tomsk Polytechnic University, together with colleagues from the Shanghai Institute of Ceramics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, used a 3D printer to fabricate a bioresorbable implant incorporating magnetoelectric nanoparticles. The device acts as a wireless converter: a magnetic field affects the nanoparticles, which generate an electrical signal through the magnetoelectric effect.
In a separate study, researchers from NUST MISIS, together with colleagues from Skoltech, ITMO University, Lomonosov Moscow State University and Dagestan State University, demonstrated new experimental approaches to measuring local electrical responses in magnetoelectric nanocomposites. They also proposed a new concept of an ultrafast thermally induced magnetoelectric effect that could be used for neurostimulation.
Detailed findings have been published in the scientific journals Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials (Q2), Journal of Applied Physics (Q2), Rapid Research Letters (Q2) and ACS Nano (Q1).
“The series of studies presenting our findings is the result of many years of research into various types of magnetoelectric nanocomposites, including nanoparticles and nanofibres, as promising platforms for a wide range of applications, from neurostimulation and regenerative medicine to catalysis. These findings are scientifically significant for understanding the nature and fundamental mechanisms of the magnetoelectric effect in nanomaterials. We have high expectations for the new concept of an ultrafast magnetoelectric effect in composites based on an iron-rhodium alloy, which requires further investigation,” said Abdulkarim Amirov, Doctor of Physics and Mathematics, Head of the Research Group at the Laboratory of Functional Low-Dimensional Structures at NUST MISIS.
The research on implant development, local magnetoelectric response measurements and the thermally induced magnetoelectric effect was supported by grants from the Russian Science Foundation (Nos.
and 22-73-10091-P).
