Self-charging bionic bone graft for large bone repair
Bionic Self-Charged Bone Composite Scaffold
A battery-free, self-charging bone implant made from safe materials to help people with large bone defects heal without donor bone, extra drugs, or toxic batteries.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Connecticut Storrs NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Storrs-Mansfield, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11325787 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be hearing about a new type of biocompatible scaffold that holds a surface charge and gives mild electrical cues to encourage bone to grow. The team is designing a composite material that avoids added stem cells or toxic growth-factor doses and aims to keep its charge over time without a battery. They will test the material in lab and preclinical models for safety, how well it supports new bone, and whether it avoids infection and immune problems seen with donor grafts. If those results are promising, the work could move toward human testing at the research site.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with large or 'critical-sized' bone defects from trauma, tumor removal, or failed grafts who are facing limited options from donor grafts may be candidates for future trials.
Not a fit: Patients with simple fractures that normally heal on their own, or those with active bone infections or severe uncontrolled medical conditions, are unlikely to benefit from this implant.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could let people with large bone gaps heal using an implant that lowers the need for donor bone, reduces infection and rejection risks, and avoids implanted batteries or high-dose biologics.
How similar studies have performed: External electrical bone stimulators are used clinically and some lab studies have shown promise for charged materials, but battery-free, long-lasting self-charged scaffolds remain novel and only intermittently successful in earlier preclinical work.
Where this research is happening
Storrs-Mansfield, United States
- University of Connecticut Storrs — Storrs-Mansfield, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Nguyen, Thanh — University of Connecticut Storrs
- Study coordinator: Nguyen, Thanh
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 below.