Electroacupuncture Plus Neural Cell Transplantation Enhances Spinal Cord Recovery after injury: Study

Spinal cord injury (SCI) disrupts neural electrical signal conduction and the homeostasis of the tissue microenvironment. In addition to causing permanent sensory and motor dysfunction, it is frequently accompanied by complications such as lower limb muscle atrophy and joint ankylosis, posing a major challenge in clinical treatment. Previously, Professor Jianwu Dai’s team at the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, demonstrated that spinal cord-derived neural stem cells exhibit superior tissue-specific potential in promoting SCI repair when compared with other cell sources (Zou et al., ACS Biomater Sci Eng.2020; Zou et al., Biomater Sci.2020; Xu et al., Bioactive Materials.2022). Subsequent studies indicated that acupoint electroacupuncture stimulation can improve post-SCI functional recovery by regulating neural networks, while conductive biomaterials can restore the electrical microenvironment of the injury site, providing support for nerve repair (Zhang et al., Materials Today Bio.2025). Building on this foundation, the deep integration of physical signals regulation and cellular regenerative repair h is poised to overcome the therapeutic bottlenecks in SCI therapeutics.

Professor Jianwu Dai’s team at the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, together with Professor Rui Gu’s team at the China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University and researcher Yi Cui from the National Research Institute for Family Planning, developed a novel therapeutic paradigm for spinal cord injury repair by integrating electroacupuncture-based physical signaling regulation with regenerative tissue engineering strategies.

Addressing the multiple challenges of interrupted neural electrical conduction and secondary muscle atrophy and joint fusion following SCI, the research team achieved precise local regulation and improved the injury microenvironment and lower limb muscle function through electroacupuncture stimulation at the Jiaji (EX-B2) and Zusanli (ST36) acupoints. Stimulation of the Jiaji points targeted the injured spinal segments, directly improving the local electrical microenvironment and neural signal transmission while effectively suppressing neuroinflammation. Stimulation of the lower limb Zusanli point activated relevant neuromuscular junction regulatory signaling pathways, alleviating denervation-induced muscle atrophy in the lower limbs. Concurrently, the teamseeded human spinal cord-derived neural progenitor cells (hsc-NPCs) onto aligned collagen scaffolds and implanted them into a rat model with complete T10 spinal cord transection. This dual therapeutic system provided both cellular “seeds” and a three-dimensional “soil” to guide regeneration at the injury site.

The study found that after 8 weeks of treatment, this combined therapeutic system not only significantly enhanced the survival rate of hsc-NPCs within the SCI area, guided their differentiation into functionally mature neurons, promoting myelin regeneration and synaptic integration, but also inhibited local glial scar formation, reduced CD68-positive inflammatory cell infiltration, and activated endogenous neurogenesis.

Regarding common post-SCI issues such as lower limb muscle atrophy and joint stiffness/fusion, electroacupuncture stimulation at the Zusanli acupoint activated somatosensory-motor pathways via physical stimulation signals. This effectively attenuated muscle mass loss in the gastrocnemius and soleus, reduced the degree of intermuscular fibrosis, and simultaneously promoted the structural regeneration and functional recoveryof neuromuscular junctions. By maintaining the contractile function of lower limb muscles and reducing soft tissue fibrosis periarticular joints, the therapy further prevented the joint stiffness and fusion.

This research result was recently published in the journal Science China Life Sciences under the title “Efficient combined use of electroacupuncture with ordered collagen scaffolds enhances the therapeutic efficacy of human spinal cord-derived neural progenitor cells therapy in spinal cord injury rats” The study integrates electroacupuncture stimulation with regenerative medicine, establishing a new paradigm through the integration of physical signal regulation and modern tissue engineering technology.

Reference:

Zou, Y., Xue, W., Guo, B. et al. Efficient combined use of electroacupuncture with ordered collagen scaffolds enhances the therapeutic efficacy of human spinal cord-derived neural progenitor cells therapy in spinal cord injury rats. Sci. China Life Sci. (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11427-025-3321-9