Soft Bioelectronics for Neuroengineering: New Horizons in the Treatment of Brain Tumor and Epilepsy.

Soft bioelectronic technologies for neuroengineering have shown remarkable progress, which include novel soft material technologies and device design strategies. Such technological advances that were initiated from fundamental brain science have recently been applied to clinical neuroscience and provided meaningful promises for significant improvement in the diagnosis efficiency and therapeutic efficacy of various brain diseases. System-level integration strategies in consideration of specific disease circumstances could enhance treatment effects further. Here, we review recent advances in soft implantable bioelectronics for neuroengineering, focusing on materials and device designs optimized for the treatment of intracranial disease environments. We first categorize and exemplify various types of soft bioelectronics for neuroengineering, and then explain details for the sensing and stimulating device components. Next, we review application examples of soft implantable bioelectronics to clinical neuroscience, particularly focusing on the treatment of brain tumor and epilepsy. Finally, we present an ideal system of the soft intracranial bioelectronics such as closed-loop-type fully-integrated systems, and discuss the remaining challenges for their clinical translation. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.