Background
Various tissues and organs in the human body, such as nerves, heart, bones, and skin, rely on bioelectrical signals to maintain function and support regeneration. Although conventional electrical therapies are effective, they require external power sources and invasive electrodes, leading to high risks of infection and reduced patient comfort. This review innovatively proposes the use of electrospinning to fabricate electroactive fibrous scaffolds, which mimic the structure of the extracellular matrix while providing electrical activity, thereby enabling non-invasive and self-powered tissue repair.

Research Progress
Electrically sensitive tissues in the human body—such as nerves, heart, bones, skin, and skeletal muscles—rely on endogenous electrical signals to drive regeneration processes, offering a revolutionary perspective for biomimetic tissue engineering. Bioelectrical signals are not only fundamental to physiological functions but also play a central role in injury repair. For instance, the nervous system employs action potentials to guide axonal directional growth and synapse formation; the heart depends on rhythmic electrical impulses generated by the sinoatrial node to achieve precise excitation–contraction coupling; bone exhibits piezoelectric properties that convert mechanical stress into localized electric fields, thereby promoting osteoblast differentiation; and skin utilizes transepithelial potentials to establish endogenous electric field gradients upon injury, facilitating ion flux and cell migration. At the molecular level, electrical stimulation modulates stem cell differentiation into osteogenic, chondrogenic, or neural lineages through key signaling pathways such as calcium signaling, MAPK, PI3K/Akt, and Wnt, thereby enhancing tissue regeneration and repair.
Electrospinning uses high-voltage electric fields to draw polymer solutions or melts into micro- to nanoscale fibers, accurately replicating the topological structure of the native extracellular matrix (ECM). Through rational material selection (e.g., natural polymers, synthetic polymers, or supramolecular peptides), spinning methods (e.g., coaxial electrospinning, melt electrospinning writing), and modulation of voltage polarity (positive or negative), research efforts have successfully mimicked the ECM and conferred surface electrical potential to scaffolds for tissue regeneration.
By strategically incorporating electroactive materials, electrospinning enables the fabrication of conductive, piezoelectric, and triboelectric scaffolds. In the domain of conductive materials, conducting polymers (e.g., PPy, PANI) and conductive nanomaterials (e.g., graphene, carbon nanotubes) facilitate efficient electrical signal transmission via electron hopping or delocalized π-bonds, significantly improving the repair of electrically sensitive tissues such as nerves and myocardium. Piezoelectric materials, including piezoelectric ceramics (e.g., BaTiO₃, ZnO) and piezoelectric polymers (e.g., PVDF, PLLA), feature non-centrosymmetric structures that convert mechanical stress into electrical signals, effectively simulating the native electro-physiological microenvironment. Triboelectric materials generate bioelectrical signals through electron transfer between materials, activating cellular responses without an external power source. The integration of conductive, piezoelectric, and triboelectric mechanisms thus opens new avenues for designing biomimetic electroactive scaffolds.
Electroactive electrospun scaffolds enable diverse intelligent applications in tissue regeneration. Conductive scaffolds mediate endogenous electrical cues to direct cell behavior and enhance regeneration, while piezoelectric scaffolds generate dynamic electrical signals in response to mechanical stress to promote tissue repair. Furthermore, electrospinning has been integrated with other technologies such as 3D printing and hydrogels to form composite implants, overcoming the limitations of traditional 2D electrospun membranes and providing a three-dimensional growth environment. Nanogenerators (e.g., piezoelectric and triboelectric nanogenerators) can convert biomechanical energy into electricity for wearable or implantable therapies, significantly improving regenerative outcomes. Smart electroactive drug delivery devices further enable controlled release of therapeutic agents via electrical stimulation, minimizing side effects and enhancing treatment efficacy.

Future Prospects
Electrospinning is advancing from "structural biomimicry" to "functional biomimicry." As a representative of "self-powered electrical therapy," electroactive electrospun scaffolds are expected to become a core component of next-generation tissue engineering products. This technology not only promotes the development of regenerative medicine but also offers new therapeutic hope for refractory conditions such as chronic wounds, nerve injuries, and bone defects. Although electroactive electrospun scaffolds have demonstrated remarkable regenerative potential in various animal models, their clinical translation still faces challenges, including the complexity of scaffold structural design, long-term stability and biosafety of electroactive materials, and standardization of electrical stimulation parameters. Future research should focus on material optimization, scalable production, and the development of personalized treatment strategies, ultimately achieving the transition from bench to bedside.

The complete study is accessible via DOI:10.34133/research.0959