Electro- and Magneto-Active Biomaterials for Diabetic Tissue Repair: Advantages and Applications

Abstract

The diabetic tissue repair process is frequently hindered by persistent inflammation, infection risks, and a compromised tissue microenvironment, which lead to delayed wound healing and significantly impact the quality of life for diabetic patients. Electromagnetic biomaterials offer a promising solution by enabling the intelligent detection of diabetic wounds through electric and magnetic effects, while simultaneously improving the pathological microenvironment by reducing oxidative stress, modulating immune responses, and exhibiting antibacterial action. Additionally, these materials inherently promote tissue regeneration by regulating cellular behavior and facilitating vascular and neural repair. Compared to traditional biomaterials, electromagnetic biomaterials provide advantages such as noninvasiveness, deep tissue penetration, intelligent responsiveness, and multi-stimuli synergy, demonstrating significant potential to overcome the challenges of diabetic tissue repair. This review comprehensively examines the superiority of electromagnetic biomaterials in diabetic tissue repair, elucidates the underlying biological mechanisms, and discusses specific design strategies and applications tailored to the pathological characteristics of diabetic wounds, with a focus on skin wound healing and bone defect repair. By addressing current limitations and pursuing multi-faceted strategies, electromagnetic biomaterials hold significant potential to improve clinical outcomes and enhance the quality of life for diabetic patients.