Inflammation-triggered sensing and miRNA immunotherapy with a wireless battery-free hydrogel bioelectronic patch

However, in situ sensing and drug delivery in the oral cavity remain challenging due to biological disparities between electronic devices and oral tissues. Here, we report a flexible, battery-free, and hydrogel-based bioelectronics that integrates biological functions and wireless signal transmission for periodontal inflammation monitoring and localized microRNA (miRNA) immunomodulation.

The hydrogel, synthesized from gelatin with bioactive peptide sequences cleavable by matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), responds specifically to protease activity associated with periodontal disease progression. Its enzymatic degradation is wirelessly transduced into quantitative radio-frequency signals of local immune activity, while simultaneously triggering the release of embedded miRNAs as critical immune regulators.