Electrical signals serve as important modulators in bone regeneration, yet recreating this self-sustaining bioelectrical microenvironment at the peri-implant interface remains challenging. In this study, we engineered pyroelectric nanostructure coatings on titanium (Ti) implants to enhance implant osteointegration through temperature fluctuation-driven electrical stimulation. The pyroelectric titanium (pyroTi) implants leverage the combined effects of the pyroelectric effect and cold stimulation to amplify calcium ion (Ca2+) influx by activating cold-sensitive transient receptor potential melastatin 8 (TRPM8) ion channel, therefore driving osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs). As a demonstration, pyroTi used as a dental implant in the rabbit maxilla showed enhanced osteointegration under routine cold-water intake. This study establishes a proof of concept for pyroelectric biomaterials that harness physiological temperature variations to potentiate bone-implant integration.
Li et al. (Thu,) studied this question.