Abstract
Bio-hybrid actuators are devices based on muscle cells or tissues, designed to exploit the force generated by the biological element to execute an action or a movement. Typically, cells and tissue control are achieved electrically by using metal electrodes implanted in living elements. In this Perspective, we focus our attention on an alternative stimulation approach based on light. We highlight the potential of light stimulation in terms of performance and discuss the comparison with classical electrical stimulation. Finally, we discuss future challenges and possible applications of light-controlled actuators.
Highlights
By and large, the interaction with living cells should be performed without affecting the cell’s physiological condition
From the electrophysiological point of view, skeletal muscle cells are characterized by fast action potential (AP) on the order of few ms, whereas the cardiac one can last up to 500 ms
These differences result in two different triggering mechanisms known as voltage-induce calcium-release (VICR) for skeletal muscle and calcium-induce calcium-release (CICR) for cardiac cells
Summary
The interaction (interrogation/stimulation) with living cells should be performed without affecting the cell’s physiological condition. Aiming at reducing the interference during these processes, light has played a relevant role due to high spatial resolution, lack of wiring, low invasiveness, and safe interaction with cells and tissues These properties make light suitable for cell stimulation[1,2,3,4] even though optostimulation requires the introduction of a light-sensitive element because wild-type cells are not photosensitive. The golden standard for stimulation relies on electrical methods[5,6] that are invasive, require surgery, and could lead to biocompatible-related issues (i.e., ROS creation, inflammatory responses[7]) These constrains are relevant in targeting very dynamic elements such as muscle tissue. These bio-hybrid actuators may find applications in technologies such
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