https://www.cell.com/cell/abstract/S0092-8674(25)01434-5

https://english.news.cn/20260129/6faf47c909124da2b7bce88e4f4bce01/c.html

An international team, led by scientists from Beihang University in Beijing, has developed an ultra-flexible bioelectronic patch capable of conforming to irregularly shaped organs, such as ovaries and kidneys, for precise and localized drug or gene delivery. Dubbed POCKET, the device mimics a “smart electronic garment” that wraps tightly around organs. When a low-voltage current is applied, the nanopores generate localized electric fields that temporarily open microscopic channels in adjacent cell membranes, allowing therapeutics to enter cells directly.

Existing gene therapies, like viral vectors, carry risks of integrating into germ line genomes and contaminating the human gene pool, rendering them prohibited for use in dealing with sensitive reproductive organs. In preclinical trials, the patch successfully delivered BRCA1 gene therapy to the surface cells of ovaries in mice without affecting reproductive cells, reducing cancer risk and restoring fertility. In kidney transplant models, localized delivery of anti-inflammatory medicine using POCKET protected renal function and eliminated systemic side effects like osteoporosis and immunosuppression, which are seen when oral steroids are used.

According to the authors, this platform could be adapted for treating diabetes, retinal disorders, rheumatoid arthritis and beyond.