Authors
Penghao Liu, Xinyu Wang, Yanchun Liu, Zhuofan Xu, Yana He, Yongchang Lu, Liguo Ye, Wenjing Wu, Zan Chen, Yushu Wang, Fengyu Zhang, Xiaoping Yang, Yingjie Yu, Qing Cai, Wanru Duan
Published in
Science advances. Volume 12. Issue 32. Pages eaeg0515. Aug 07, 2026. Epub Aug 05, 2026.
Abstract
Spinal cord stimulation has emerged as a promising therapeutic strategy for spinal cord injury (SCI), yet conventional electronic implants remain limited by surgical risk and long-term safety concerns. We introduce a biodegradable piezoelectric cryogel (Piezo Gel) that enables programmable electro-neuromodulation without implanted electronics. Engineered to replicate spinal column mechanics, Piezo Gel converts physiological motion into localized bioelectrical signals; externally applied ultrasound (US) further amplifies this output, enabling non-invasive, on-demand neuromodulation. In acute severe SCI rats, US-activated Piezo Gel markedly improved locomotor recovery, elevated Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan (BBB) scores, and promoted bladder functional remodeling. In mild contusion rats, a phase-adaptive neuromodulation strategy shifted from US-triggered stimulation during the acute immobilization phase to motion-driven stimulation during subacute rehabilitation, dynamically matching the evolving pathological microenvironment after SCI. This sequential electrostimulation paradigm produced marked restoration of coordinated gait. Together, these findings establish an electronic-free platform for programmable electro-neuromodulation that integrates US and physiological motion, offering a clinically translatable strategy for SCI repair.
PMID:
42555714
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 06 Aug 2026.
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