Magneto‐Motivated Intracellular Wireless Nanodischarge System Induces Neural Stem Cell Differentiation and Spinal Cord Injury Repair
Abstract While extracellular electrical stimulation for neural repair is established, intracellular electrostimulation remains underexplored. This study proposes an intracellular wireless nanodischarge (IWND) system that leverages electromagnetic induction, with endocytosed multishell gold nanoparticles (MS‐Au NPs) serving as electromagnetic dischargers inside neural stem cells (NSCs). An external rotating magnetic field (RMF) above the NSCs is employed as a transmitter to trigger an induced electric charge. In vitro, the IWND system accelerates neuronal differentiation, achieving a 5‐day advancement and enhancing the mature neuron yield from 15.9% to 49.8%, mainly cholinergic and dopaminergic phenotypes, which are pivotal neuronal populations governing motor coordination and cognitive function. Mechanistically, a moderate concentration of reactive oxygen species (ROS), originating from the electrocatalytic reactions based on wireless nanodischarge‐mediated electrogenesis, activates the extracellular signal‐related kinase (ERK) signaling cascade, forming a key signaling axis in IWND‐driven neural differentiation through controlled oxidative signaling. In vivo experiments demonstrate that transplantation of MS‐Au NP‐internalized NSCs in combination with external magnetic stimulation significantly restores motor function in mice with spinal cord injury, primarily through differentiation into functional neurons. This study establishes a platform for developing spatiotemporally precise stem cell therapies through intracellular bioelectrical modulation, offering new possibilities for neural circuit reconstruction in neurological disorders.
Authors
- Zhichao Feng (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6651-5195)
- Shenghui Shang
- Wen Shen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5830-6518)
- Ke Gao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-5882-2709)
- Benjie Wei
- Xiheng Lu
- Hengxing Zhou (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0053-8970)
- Chunhui Sun (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8138-6501)
- Hong Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1640-9620)
- Haiqing Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7754-006X)
- Xuejiao Yang
- Laisen Cui
Institutions
- Shandong University (CN)
- Linyi University (CN)
- University of Jinan (CN)
- Second Hospital of Shandong University (CN)
- Advanced Medical Research Institute (US)
- Qilu Hospital of Shandong University (CN)
- Shandong First Medical University (CN)
- State Key Laboratory of Crystal Materials
Publication Details
- Journal
- Advanced Functional Materials
- Published
- 2025-09-04
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202512370
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Spinal Cord Injury Research
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 1.47
Funders
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province
- Major Basic Research Project of the Natural Science Foundation of the Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions