Direct electrical stimulation of neural tissue close to a site of peripheral nerve injury has been shown to enhance regeneration. Here, the authors developed a bioresorbable, wireless electrical stimulator, which they secured to the rodent sciatic nerve and connected to a wireless receiver implanted subcutaneously. Passing radio frequency power through a transmission antenna placed near the receiver generated electrical impulses, the temporal pattern of which could be controlled. Rates of recovery following sciatic nerve transection were increased in rats receiving electrical stimulation compared with controls, suggesting that neuroregenerative bioelectronic approaches may have therapeutic potential.
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Koo, J. et al. Wireless bioresorbable electronic system enables sustained nonpharmacological neuroregenterative therapy. Nat. Med. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-018-0196-2 (2018)
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Lewis, S. Boosting regeneration. Nat Rev Neurosci 19, 713 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41583-018-0083-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41583-018-0083-3
