Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42555714›Full record

ArticleScience advances2026

A biodegradable piezoelectric vertebral implant for programmable electro-neuromodulation in spinal cord injury.

Penghao Liu, Xinyu Wang, Yanchun Liu, Zhuofan Xu, Yana He, Yongchang Lu, Liguo Ye, Wenjing Wu, Zan Chen, Yushu Wang and 5 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Science advances, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors.

Penghao LiuDepartment of Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China.ORCID 0000-0002-9100-1580
Xinyu WangState Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing Laboratory of Biomedical Materials, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China.ORCID 0009-0002-9189-5307
Yanchun LiuDepartment of Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China.ORCID 0009-0001-7348-0071
Zhuofan XuDepartment of Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China.
Yana HeDepartment of Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China.
Yongchang LuDepartment of Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China.ORCID 0000-0001-5838-6207
Liguo YeDepartment of Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China.
Wenjing WuThe Central Laboratory, Beijing Jishuitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100035, China.
Zan ChenDepartment of Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China.
Yushu WangDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-3136-2691
Fengyu ZhangWuxi Touchsping Technology Co., Ltd., Wuxi, 214000, China.
Xiaoping YangState Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing Laboratory of Biomedical Materials, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China.ORCID 0009-0002-5867-1686
Yingjie YuState Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing Laboratory of Biomedical Materials, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China.ORCID 0000-0002-2543-9808
Qing CaiState Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing Laboratory of Biomedical Materials, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China.ORCID 0000-0001-6618-0321
Wanru DuanDepartment of Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China.ORCID 0000-0003-4751-3666

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

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.

Indexed as

Absorbable ImplantsElectric Stimulation TherapySpinal Cord InjuriesSpinal Cord StimulationAnimalsDisease Models, AnimalFemaleRatsRecovery of Function

Identifiers

PMID42555714
PMCPMC13440398

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.