POS8-0442
Device-free Injectable Electroceutical Hydrogel Restores Neurovascular Function via Targeted Electrostimulation in Diabetic Erectile Dysfunction
Topic
S8. Frontiers of Functional Polymers in Biology and Medicine
When and Where
Sep 30, 2026
08:30 - 09:30
Room 301 (Grand Ballroom)
Session Chairs
Heesuk KIM
Jinhye BAE
Presenter(s)
Sung-eun Heo (Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea)
Co-Author(s)
Abstract
More than 70% of men with diabetes suffer from erectile dysfunction due to neurovascular impairment in the corpus cavernosum. However, patients with neurovascular injury show limited responsiveness to Viagra®, while implantable electrical stimulators are limited by hardware-related complications and restricted long-term usability. Here, we designed TARGET, a Therapeutic Adhesive Responsive Hydrogel for Energy Transfer, as a device-free injectable electroceutical polymer platform for localized neurovascular regeneration. TARGET wirelessly harvests ambient low-frequency electric fields from everyday electronic environments and converts them into site-specific electrical stimulation through body-mediated capacitive coupling, without batteries, wires, or external hardware. In addition, multiple hydrogen bonds within the hydrogel matrix provide stable tissue anchoring and mobile internal charges amplify electric fields inside the body. This combination enables focused and sustained wireless electrostimulation at the target tissue. In vitro, TARGET promoted angiogenesis, neuroprotection, axonal regeneration, synaptic plasticity, and nitric oxide signaling. In vivo, a single TARGET injection induced endogenous electrostimulation, restoring intracavernosal pressure and erectile function in diabetic mice to more than 118.0% of normal levels. This device-free, injectable electroceutical platform demonstrates broad therapeutic potential for erectile dysfunction and neurovascular diseases.
