Professor Kim Sang-woo's research team at Yonsei University's Department of Materials Science and Engineering has implemented technology that stimulates nerves by concentrating static electricity generated naturally through body movements in specific areas of the body without external power supply, in collaboration with Professor Choi Byeong-ok's research team at Samsung Medical Center's Department of Neurology, and announced on the 28th that it has succeeded in wireless nerve therapy.
Recently, the 'electroceuticals' technology has gained attention in the treatment of various neurological diseases, including nerve damage, sensory decline, and delayed nerve regeneration. Electroceuticals is a technology that applies electrical stimulation to nerve cells to restore damaged functions. It has the advantage of higher specificity and fewer side effects than drugs, but existing electroceutical devices involve batteries and complex circuits, which impose constraints on size and weight, and can result in side effects such as inflammation and tissue damage requiring removal surgery.
To overcome these limitations, the research team focused on triboelectricity (static electricity) generated by friction with the ground while walking. They designed a triboelectric generator located externally to generate a safe low-frequency current of low intensity and inserted biodegradable metals at the site of nerve damage to lower electrical resistance, allowing the current to be precisely concentrated in that area.
Results from preclinical experiments using rats and pigs showed that the current concentrated at the insertion site, and the nerve regeneration effect was statistically significantly improved. It was particularly confirmed that the inserted biodegradable metal implant naturally decomposes after a certain period, eliminating the need for removal surgery. Unlike existing electroceutical-based nerve stimulation technologies that require complex circuits or batteries, this method allows treatment by merely inserting conductive materials in the body.
This technology can design current flow in the body without circuits or batteries, precisely delivering stimulation only to the desired areas, with the ability to flexibly adjust the intensity of the current and the duration of stimulation. Thanks to these characteristics, it is expected to expand into treatment areas requiring precise nerve regulation, such as central nervous system diseases or brain disorders.
Professor Kim Sang-woo emphasized, "This research presents a completely different new approach compared to existing nerve stimulation technologies in that it designs current pathways in the body without batteries or circuits and can deliver stimulation accurately to the desired areas."
The results of this study were published in the international journal 'Science Advances' on the 24th.
References
Science Advances (2025), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adx5922