  The study and applications of ferroelectric materials in the biomedical and
biotechnological fields is a novel and very promising scientific area that
spans roughly one decade. However, some groups have already provided
experimental proof of very interesting biological modulation when living
systems are exposed to different ferroelectrics and excitation mechanisms.
These materials should offer several advantages in the field of bioelectricity,
such as no need of an external electric power source or circuits, scalable size
of the electroactive regions, flexible and reconfigurable virtual electrodes,
or fully proved biocompatibility. In this focused review we provide the
underlying physics of ferroelectric activity and a recount of the research
reports already published, along with some tentative biophysical mechanisms
that can explain the observed results. More specifically, we focused on the
biological actions of domain ferroelectrics, and ferroelectrics excited by the
bulk photovoltaic effect or the pyroelectric effect. It is our goal to provide
a comprehensive account of the published material so far, and to set the stage
for a vigorous expansion of the field, with envisioned applications that span
from cell biology and signaling to cell and tissue regeneration, antitumoral
action, or cell bioengineering to name a few.
