A battery scaffold for tissue regeneration

Native tissue repair depends on the coordinated interplay of structural cues, biochemical signals, and endogenous bioelectric stimulation, yet current strategies treat these components as separate modules, increasing complexity and limiting clinical translation. To address this, we proposed for the first time the design of a battery scaffold for tissue regeneration, harnessing the energy potential generated by ion gradients, which are ubiquitous in tissue repair. The scaffold integrated a freeze-casted polyester framework as an energy storage module with ion-releasing nMgO-loaded microgels as energy suppliers, offering an energy storage capacity of 11.83 μF and a current density of up to 2.25 mA⋅cm², while maintaining electrical stimulation for over 8 weeks. The superior repair performance of the scaffold was further validated in rabbit femoral defect models. Collectively, this work pioneers the systematic conversion of ion-releasing energy into regenerative bioelectric signals, introducing a disruptive scaffold concept that integrates structural, biochemical, and electrical cues within a single platform.