Neuromuscular degeneration is devastating disaster in peripheral nerve system, due to various type of congenital or acquired situation. Fail to preserve the integrity or functionality often leads to extensive and irreversible functional loss, such as muscle atrophy, contracture or even life-threatening events. Currently, direct proximal nerve electrical stimulation has been proposed to enhance neuronal proliferation and exaggerated axon regeneration. However, little is known to preservation of neuromuscular interface, in terms of structural integrity and electrical physiology. In this brief talk, I will introduce our current newly developed electronic platform to deliver chronic distal electric stimulation for neuromuscular functional recoveries. We successfully establish a long-lived, wireless electrical stimulation platform, built with a stretchable, bioresorbable and biocompatible materials. In addition, this research is also the first reported demonstration of alleviated denervation muscle atrophy in animal models as a result of chronic orthodromic electrical stimulation on distal nerve stump. Functional recoveries with therapeutic benefit on muscular histology, neuromuscular junction reconnection and electrophysiology, but not through enhancing nerve regeneration. Beneficial mechanism by distal electrical stimulation lead to early preservation of muscle denervation, electromyographic activity, neuromuscular integrity and prevention of functional deterioration.

A wireless bioresorbable electronic technology offers unprecedented opportunities to deploy advanced implantable electronic stimulators for the enhancement and facilitation of the functional recovery of neuromuscular disorders. Our findings establish routes for the design and fabrication of bioresorbable electronic stimulators that enable the investigation of innovative physiological effect of electricity. This novel approach empowers several emerging translational approaches to restore the neuromuscular interface, impede the irreversible degeneration and enhance the neuromuscular signals for further biomechanical translation.

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