Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 14, 2026
08:24
Bioinspired Soft Robot with Incorporated Microelectrodes
Published on: February 28, 2020
9.3K
Mechano-bioactive hydrogel bioelectronics for mechanical-electrical-bioenergetic conversion and glia-modulating
Junjie Shen1,2, Shihao Wu3, Yifan Wang4
1National Center for Orthopaedics, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Nature Communications
|November 23, 2025
Summary
This study introduces a novel piezoelectric hydrogel bioelectronics that converts mechanical stimulation into electrical signals, enhancing glial energy metabolism and promoting neural repair after injury. This technology shows broad therapeutic potential for nervous system injuries.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Neuroscience
- Materials Science
Background:
- Dynamic mechanical cues significantly influence glial cell function in neural regeneration.
- Mechanisms of mechanotransduction and organelle response in glia post-neurotrauma require further elucidation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and investigate mechano-bioactive piezoelectric hydrogel bioelectronics for glial mechanotransduction.
- To explore the role of this technology in promoting glial energy metabolism and neural repair.
Main Methods:
- Developed BaTiO3-embedded collagen-1 hydrogel bioelectronics.
- Investigated mechanotransduction in astrocytes and Schwann cells using ultrasound stimulation.
- Analyzed calcium influx, ATP synthesis, and mitochondrial fusion.
Main Results:
- Ultrasound stimulation of the hydrogel generated electrical signals, upregulating PIEZO1/PIEZO2 channels in astrocytes/Schwann cells.
- Mechanoelectrical conversion enhanced calcium influx, activated ATP synthase, and promoted mitochondrial fusion (MFN/OPA1 mediated).
- This resulted in increased ATP synthesis, forming an energy network that facilitated glia-mediated neural repair.
Conclusions:
- Elucidated a multilevel mechanobiological energy transduction pathway (mechanical-electrical-bioenergetic conversion) for neural repair.
- Demonstrated therapeutic efficacy in multiple animal models, highlighting significant translational potential.
- The developed hydrogel bioelectronics represent a promising clinical treatment mode for central and peripheral nervous injuries.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:26Applications of EMF Measurements
Electromotive force (EMF) measurements have a broad range of applications in various fields, including chemistry and physics. The electrochemical series, an arrangement of elements in order of their standard electrode potentials, can be determined through EMF measurements. Elements with lower standard potentials can reduce ions of elements with higher standard potentials.The standard cell potential, E°, allows for the calculation of the standard reaction Gibbs energy, ΔG°, and the equilibrium...
01:30Environmental Applications of Microorganisms
Microorganisms play a pivotal role in maintaining ecosystem balance by recycling essential elements such as carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus, as well as supporting processes like bioremediation, wastewater treatment, and biofuel production.Microbes in Elemental CyclesIn the carbon cycle, microorganisms decompose organic matter, releasing carbon dioxide via aerobic respiration. This carbon dioxide is subsequently used by photosynthetic organisms to synthesize organic compounds, closing the...
01:30Microbial Wastewater Treatment
Microbial communities in aquatic ecosystems play a key role in the natural breakdown of contaminants introduced through domestic and industrial effluents. Acting as biological catalysts, these microbes change and mineralize a wide range of organic and inorganic pollutants under different redox conditions.In oxygen-rich surface waters, aerobic heterotrophs lead organic matter breakdown, using oxygen as the terminal electron acceptor to efficiently oxidize substrates to carbon dioxide and water.
01:23Microbial Fuel Cells
Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are bioelectrochemical devices that generate electricity by exploiting the metabolic processes of electrogenic bacteria. These systems provide a renewable energy source and serve as an innovative method for treating organic waste, such as wastewater.A typical MFC consists of two chambers: an anoxic (oxygen-free) compartment that houses the bacteria and an oxic (oxygen-rich) compartment that contains oxygen as the terminal electron acceptor. Many MFCs use proton...
01:17Microbial Biosensors
Microbial biosensors are analytical devices that utilize living microbes to detect specific substances through measurable signals. These devices consist of two main components: biosensing organisms and signal-transducing elements. Biosensing organisms, such as Escherichia coli or Saccharomyces cerevisiae, are typically housed in multiwell plates connected to transducers, enabling rapid, real-time detection of target analytes.Signal Generation MechanismWhen a target analyte—such as...
01:30Biological Treatment of Effluent and Waste Water
Biological wastewater treatment relies on the metabolic activity of microorganisms to remove pollutants from sewage. In modern treatment systems, this process is organized into sequential stages that progressively reduce solid material, dissolved organic matter, and microbial contamination. Each stage plays a distinct role in improving water quality and preparing the effluent for safe discharge or reuse.Primary and Secondary TreatmentPrimary treatment is a physical process that removes large...