Biodegradable Piezoelectric Amino Acid Nerve Guidance Conduit Repairs Long‐Gap Nerve Defect Under Low Frequency Vibration from Massage Gun
Genglin Chen, Quanhong Hu, Chuyu Tang, Songjing Zhong, Shaobo Wang, Zhuoheng Jiang, Shuncheng Yao, Qinyu Zhao, Linlin Li
Abstract
Abstract Peripheral nerve injury (PNI) poses significant challenges due to limited regeneration capacity, with autografts being the current gold standard despite drawbacks like donor site morbidity. Conductive nerve guidance conduits (NGCs) integrating electrical stimulation (ES) show promise but require invasive external power sources. Here, a biodegradable, piezoelectric NGC is presented, composed of aligned polycaprolactone (PCL)‐β‐glycine composite nanofibers, which generate ES in response to low‐frequency mechanical vibrations, enabling wireless nerve regeneration. β‐glycine is stabilized in PCL nanofibers via a one‐step electrospinning process, ensuring phase stability and uniform distribution. The NGCs exhibited high piezoelectric output under mechanical stress, including low‐frequency vibrations from a massage gun. In vitro and in vivo experimental results demonstrated that piezoelectric stimulation significantly enhanced Schwann cell myelination and neurite outgrowth, enabling robust structural repair of 10 mm sciatic nerve defects, with 99% restoration of motor function and 96% recovery of nerve conduction, comparable to autograft performance. These biodegradable NGCs address critical limitations of existing therapies, presenting a promising approach for PNI treatment.