3D-Printed biodegradable and multifunctional cranial device for bone repair and healing assessment
Critical-sized bone defects pose substantial clinical challenges, requiring both regenerative and diagnostic strategies for effective treatment. Here, we report a biodegradable, multifunctional cranial device based on three-dimensional printing. The device integrates a self-electrified scaffold based on a transient zinc-molybdenum battery and an impedance sensor for simultaneous electrical stimulation and continuous assessment of bone healing. The beneficial effects of electrical cues are attributed to elevated calcium ion influx, reactive oxygen species signaling, and up-regulated osteogenesis-related genes. In a rodent cranial defect model, the device promotes osteogenesis while enabling dynamic tracking of early tissue regeneration through impedance measurements. The increase in impedance is associated with enhanced collagen deposition and matrix mineralization. By uniting therapeutic stimulation with in situ monitoring, this work offers a platform for intelligent bone repair with broad potential in regenerative medicine.
Authors
- Liliang Ouyang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4177-8698)
- Ningxin Zhu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0891-3042)
- Xing Sheng (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8744-1700)
- Xibo Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4220-9246)
- He Ding (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0884-3112)
- Yuguang Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6754-3689)
- Yuan Ma (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6445-3741)
- Haitao Chen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9757-4307)
- Can Yang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4284-6245)
- Hui Qi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1545-5548)
- Bingbing Yu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8041-4128)
- Milin Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7544-1837)
- Xiumei Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5303-0217)
- Ludan Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3531-6171)
- Shirong Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1860-2523)
- Helin Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-3623-4383)
- Man Qin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5791-3319)
- Huachun Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0731-227X)
- Lan Yin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7306-4628)
- Yuanhao Zhang
- Xue Gao
- Xianfeng Ping (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-7406-4481)
Institutions
- King University (US)
- Beijing Institute of Technology (CN)
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research (US)
- Shenzhen University (CN)
- Peking University (CN)
- Beijing Jishuitan Hospital (CN)
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research (CN)
- CE Technologies (United Kingdom) (GB)
- Peking University First Hospital (CN)
- Stomatology Hospital (CN)
- National Engineering Research Center for Information Technology in Agriculture (CN)
- Tsinghua University (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Science Advances
- Published
- 2026-08-21
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adz2632
- Primary Topic
- Planarian Biology and Electrostimulation
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- Beijing Municipal Natural Science Foundation
- Beijing Nova Program
- Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation of Guangdong Province