Self-powered bioelectronics for peripheral nerve regeneration: Electroactive materials, energy transduction, and therapeutic mechanisms.
6 affiliations
- 1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Spine Section, Bone and Joint Research Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, 33302, Taiwan.
- 2College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, 33302, Taiwan.
- 3Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan.
- 4Department of Anesthesiology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, 33302, Taiwan.
- 5Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital Keelung Branch, Keelung, 204, Taiwan.
- 6Department of Mechanical Engineering (Integrated Engineering Program), Kyung Hee University, 1732 Deogyeong-daero, Yongin, Gyeonggi, 17104, South Korea.
Abstract
Peripheral nerve injuries remain difficult to treat because axonal regeneration is slow, incomplete, and highly dependent on timely biochemical, structural, and electrical cues. Self-powered electroceuticals offer an emerging route to deliver localized electrical stimulation with reduced dependence on bulky batteries and percutaneous leads. This review summarizes recent advances in self-powered bioelectronic systems for nerve repair, with emphasis on three representative platforms: self-electrified galvanic devices, triboelectric nanogenerators, and piezoelectric nanogenerators. From a materials and interfacial engineering perspective, we discuss how redox reactions, contact electrification, and piezoelectric polarization convert physiological or externally applied energy into therapeutic electrical outputs. Key design factors, including biodegradable metals, electroactive polymers, piezoelectric composites, conductive interfaces, encapsulation strategies, and nerve-guidance architectures, are critically examined in relation to output stability, degradation behavior, tissue compatibility, and regenerative efficacy. We further highlight preclinical evidence that self-powered electrical cues influence Schwann cell activity, axonal elongation, neurotrophic factor secretion, immune modulation, and downstream signaling pathways to enhance myelination, suppress muscle atrophy, and improve functional recovery. Finally, current limitations and future opportunities are discussed, including stimulation-dose standardization, degradation-byproduct management, scalable fabrication, closed-loop integration, and large-animal validation. This review provides a unified-materials-interface-device-biology framework for developing clinically translatable self-powered electroceuticals for nerve regeneration.
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BibTeX
@article{kao2026selfpowered,
title = {{Self-powered bioelectronics for peripheral nerve regeneration: Electroactive materials, energy transduction, and therapeutic mechanisms.}},
author = {Fu-Cheng Kao and Monika Pebam and Parag Parashar and Sheng-Fen Wang and Ping-Yeh Chiu and Tsung-Ting Tsai and Chi-Chien Niu and Shih-Heng Chen and Dongwhi Choi and Ming-Kai Hsieh and Zong-Hong Lin},
journal = {Materials today. Bio},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1016/j.mtbio.2026.103734},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42926817},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Self-powered bioelectronics for peripheral nerve regeneration: Electroactive materials, energy transduction, and therapeutic mechanisms.
AU - Fu-Cheng Kao
AU - Monika Pebam
AU - Parag Parashar
AU - Sheng-Fen Wang
AU - Ping-Yeh Chiu
AU - Tsung-Ting Tsai
AU - Chi-Chien Niu
AU - Shih-Heng Chen
AU - Dongwhi Choi
AU - Ming-Kai Hsieh
AU - Zong-Hong Lin
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/08
JO - Materials today. Bio
DO - 10.1016/j.mtbio.2026.103734
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42926817
AB - Peripheral nerve injuries remain difficult to treat because axonal regeneration is slow, incomplete, and highly dependent on timely biochemical, structural, and electrical cues. Self-powered electroceuticals offer an emerging route to deliver localized electrical stimulation with reduced dependence on bulky batteries and percutaneous leads. This review summarizes recent advances in self-powered bioelectronic systems for nerve repair, with emphasis on three representative platforms: self-electrified galvanic devices, triboelectric nanogenerators, and piezoelectric nanogenerators. From a materials and interfacial engineering perspective, we discuss how redox reactions, contact electrification, and piezoelectric polarization convert physiological or externally applied energy into therapeutic electrical outputs. Key design factors, including biodegradable metals, electroactive polymers, piezoelectric composites, conductive interfaces, encapsulation strategies, and nerve-guidance architectures, are critically examined in relation to output stability, degradation behavior, tissue compatibility, and regenerative efficacy. We further highlight preclinical evidence that self-powered electrical cues influence Schwann cell activity, axonal elongation, neurotrophic factor secretion, immune modulation, and downstream signaling pathways to enhance myelination, suppress muscle atrophy, and improve functional recovery. Finally, current limitations and future opportunities are discussed, including stimulation-dose standardization, degradation-byproduct management, scalable fabrication, closed-loop integration, and large-animal validation. This review provides a unified-materials-interface-device-biology framework for developing clinically translatable self-powered electroceuticals for nerve regeneration.
SN - 2590-0064
ER -