iBB’s team Catarina Jones, Marta Carvalho, Paola Sanjuan-Alberte, Teresa Esteves and Frederico Ferreira, recently reported in ACS Applied Materials And Interfaces a nanobioelectronic system designed to target cancer cells’ bioelectrical properties. This system combines piezoelectric barium titanate nanoparticles with a conducting poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) shell (PEDOT), functioning as nanoantennas that convert ultrasound-induced mechanical signals into electrical signals.
This system demonstrated effective and selective targeting of cancer cells, significantly reducing the viability of MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells— only when activated by ultrasound —while leaving healthy cells unharmed. The goal of this approach was to re-engineer the membrane potential of cancer cells, based on the hypothesis that membrane potential and cell bioelectricity regulate tumorigenic features. Further investigation revealed that the nanoparticles induced membrane hyperpolarization, which increased intracellular reactive oxygen species and calcium levels. This disruption of bioelectric signaling may suppress tumorigenic properties, ultimately leading to cancer cell death and cell cycle arrest.
This work serves as a proof of concept, demonstrating that cancer cell bioelectricity can be harnessed as a potential therapeutic target through wireless and non-invasive methods. It underscores the importance of further interdisciplinary research—spanning both engineering and biological perspectives—to better understand the role of bioelectricity.
Link to paper: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsami.4c12387#