Untethered: using remote magnetic fields for regenerative medicine

Magnetic fields are increasingly being used for the remote, noncontact manipulation of cells and biomaterials for a wide range of regenerative medical (RM) applications. They have been deployed for their direct effects on biological systems or in conjunction with magnetic materials or magnetically tagged cells for a targeted therapeutic effect. In this work, we highlight the recent trends on the broad use of magnetic fields for the homing of therapeutic cells and particles at targeted tissue sites, biomimetic tissue fabrication, and control of cell fate and proliferation. We also survey the design and control principles of magnetic manipulation systems, including their capabilities and limitations, which can guide future research into developing more effective magnetic field-based regenerative strategies. Magnetic fields offer distinct advantages over other remote manipulation strategies using acoustic, electrical, or optical energy for applications in regenerative medicine (RM).Magnetic fields are often deployed in conjunction with magnetic materials, but have also been used as a standalone stimulus for tissue regeneration or biofabrication.Magnetic fields have been used for supporting physiological functions of organs, homing of cells and therapeutic particles to a target site in vivo, development of drug- and disease-screening systems, stimulation of tissues in vitro and in vivo, and fabrication of biomimetic tissues.Studying the principles behind the generation of magnetic fields and their interactions with inorganic (e.g., magnetic nanoparticles) and organic (e.g., cells) materials can help us to develop effective RM strategies in the future.