# Spatiotemporal piezoelectric microspheres for wireless endometrial repair with improved pregnancy outcomes

**Authors:** Rui Zhao, Shiwen Ni, Xinyu Tao, Yuxing Liu, Nengjie Yang, Chun Cheng, Yujuan Zhu, Mei Yang

PMC · DOI: 10.1016/j.mtbio.2026.102915 · Materials Today Bio · 2026-02-10

## TL;DR

A new microsphere system uses piezoelectric materials and herbal hydrogels to repair endometrial damage and improve fertility outcomes.

## Contribution

A spatiotemporally responsive piezoelectric microsphere platform is introduced for endometrial regeneration and fertility recovery.

## Key findings

- The microspheres stimulate cell proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis in endometrial injury models.
- Intrauterine delivery accelerates endometrial re-epithelialization and restores myometrial integrity.
- The system ensures sterile environments and reduces inflammation through ROS scavenging and cytokine inhibition.

## Abstract

Endometrial injury is a pathological damage caused by intrauterine infection, repeated miscarriage, or curettage, which can seriously impair fertility. Effective repair of damaged endometrium is crucial. Traditional interventions often only bring moderate improvements; therefore innovative repair strategies are needed. Herein, we propose a novel spatiotemporally responsive piezoelectric microsphere platform, which could be applied for ultrasound-guided endometrial regeneration and fertility recovery. These microspheres are manufactured by microfluidic technology, producing a core-shell structure: a Chinese herb-laden hydrogel embedded in piezoelectric nanoparticles, and wrapped by a viscous polydopamine (PDA) shell. The herbal hydrogel inhibits the release of inflammatory cytokines, and play the role of phytoestrogen to synergistically enhancing sexual function and tissue repair. The PDA shell scavenges reactive oxygen species (ROS), dampening oxidative stress and chronic inflammation. Meanwhile, the encapsulated gold-decorated tetragonal barium titanates (Au@BTO) nanoparticles generate bactericidal ROS upon ultrasonic activation, ensuring sterile local microenvironments. Vessel-on-a-chip and endometrium-injury rats model confirm the microspheres's outstanding compatibility, and their capacity to stimulate cell proliferation, migration and angiogenesis. Intrauterine delivery of the microspheres accelerates endometrial re-epithelialization, amplifies angiogenesis, restores myometrial integrity, and ultimately preserves fertility. With its precise spatiotemporal control and multimodal therapeutic functions, this microsphere system represents a transformative approach for localized treatment of gynecological diseases.

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## Linked entities

- **Species:** Rattus norvegicus (taxon 10116)

## Full-text entities

- **Genes:** Vegfa (vascular endothelial growth factor A) [NCBI Gene 83785] {aka VEGF-A, VEGF111, VEGF164, VPF, Vegf}, Tnf (tumor necrosis factor) [NCBI Gene 24835] {aka RATTNF, TNF-alpha, Tnfa}, Il1b (interleukin 1 beta) [NCBI Gene 24494] {aka IL-1F2}, Il10 (interleukin 10) [NCBI Gene 25325] {aka IL10X, If2a}, Mvd (mevalonate diphosphate decarboxylase) [NCBI Gene 81726] {aka Mvpd}, F2 (coagulation factor II, thrombin) [NCBI Gene 29251], TJP1 (tight junction protein 1) [NCBI Gene 403752] {aka ZO-1, ZO1}, Il6 (interleukin 6) [NCBI Gene 24498] {aka ILg6, Ifnb2}, Actg2 (actin gamma 2, smooth muscle) [NCBI Gene 25365] {aka ACTGE, SMGA}
- **Diseases:** abnormal uterine bleeding (MESH:D014592), birth defects (MESH:D000014), MVNs (MESH:D017566), endometrium injury (MESH:D016889), intrauterine adhesions (MESH:D000267), tumorigenicity (MESH:D002471), infertility (MESH:D007246), abortion (MESH:D000026), infection (MESH:D007239), premature birth (MESH:D047928), Cytotoxicity (MESH:D064420), gynecological diseases (MESH:D005831), miscarriage (MESH:D000022), uterine fibroid (MESH:D007889), bacterial (MESH:D001424), Endometrial injury (MESH:D014591), EDS (MESH:C563184), fibrosis (MESH:D005355), endometrial inflammation (MESH:D007249), SPCM (MESH:D003130), injury (MESH:D014947), uterine stenosis (MESH:D003251), Hemolysis (MESH:D006461)
- **Chemicals:** 2-hydroxyterephthalic acid (MESH:C406866), H&amp;E (MESH:D006371), CAS:61276-17-3 (-), H2O2 (MESH:D006861), Ti (MESH:D014025), tert-butyl alcohol (MESH:D020002), TA (MESH:C011363), CO2 (MESH:D002245), Zoletil (MESH:C006131), 1,3-diphenylisobenzofuran (MESH:C011238), Calcein (MESH:C007740), OH (MESH:C031356), LPS (MESH:D008070), PBS (MESH:D007854), Dopamine (MESH:D004298), glutaraldehyde (MESH:D005976), ROS (MESH:D017382), Ba (MESH:D001464), DAPI (MESH:C007293), Au (MESH:D006046), singlet oxygen (MESH:D026082), paraffin (MESH:D010232), Calcein-AM (MESH:C085925), O (MESH:D010100), PI (MESH:D010716), paraffin oil (MESH:C015418), tribromoethanol (MESH:C062527), Acteoside (MESH:C058956), agar (MESH:D000362), H2O. (MESH:D014867), CCK-8 (MESH:D012844), DCFH-DA (MESH:C029569), PDA (MESH:C568283), hydroxyl radicals (MESH:D017665), NaOH (MESH:D012972), BaTiO3 (MESH:C024547), ethanol (MESH:D000431)
- **Species:** Bacteria Latreille et al. 1825 (Bacteria stick insect, genus) [taxon 629395], Staphylococcus aureus (species) [taxon 1280], Rattus norvegicus (brown rat, species) [taxon 10116], Homo sapiens (human, species) [taxon 9606], Escherichia coli (E. coli, species) [taxon 562]
- **Cell lines:** SPCM — Mus musculus (Mouse), Hybridoma (CVCL_B0UE), ATCC6538 — Homo sapiens (Human), Lung adenocarcinoma, Cancer cell line (CVCL_0023), RAW 264.7 — Mus musculus (Mouse), Mouse leukemia, Cancer cell line (CVCL_0493)

## Full text

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## Figures

9 figures with captions in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12927068/full.md

## References

43 references — full list in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12927068/full.md

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12927068