A smart implant to help rebuild large muscle losses after injury
Official title: An Intelligent Biorobot for the Regenerative Rehabilitation of Volumetric Muscle Loss Defects
Funded at Cleveland State University · NIH-11302690 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project aims to use a self-powered implant that delivers muscle cells and gentle electrical pulses from everyday limb movement to help people with large traumatic muscle loss rebuild working muscle.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Cleveland State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Cleveland, United States) |
| Project start | March 13, 2025 |
| Project end | February 28, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $596,474 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AR083865-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11302690 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People who have suffered volumetric muscle loss from traumatic injuries and who have persistent loss of strength or function despite standard therapies would be the most likely candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People with only minor muscle tears, chronic non-traumatic muscle diseases, active local infections, or those ineligible for surgical or implant procedures may not benefit from this approach.
What this research studies
If you have lost a large chunk of muscle from a traumatic injury, researchers are developing a piezoelectric implant that carries muscle cells and uses small electric signals generated by normal movement to speed muscle growth. The implant is designed to encourage blood vessel and nerve connections so the new muscle can work with the rest of your limb. The team pairs the implant with a specific rehabilitation exercise program (neuromuscular eccentric contraction training) to further promote functional recovery. Current work is preclinical to show how well the approach forms innervated, vascularized, and functional muscle before any human trials.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could restore strength and movement to limbs with severe muscle loss and reduce long-term disability and pain.
How similar studies have gone: Related tissue-engineered grafts and electrical-stimulation methods have shown promise in animal models, but combining a self-powered piezoelectric implant with cell delivery is a novel, preclinical strategy.
Where this research is happening
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Cleveland State University
Cleveland, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sikder, Prabaha — Cleveland State University
- Study coordinator: Sikder, Prabaha
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.