Human study · Research · 10 Oct 2026
A seed-sized injectable device stimulated nerves in early tests; pain relief in people is not shown
Source: New York University / Science Advances
What the research found
Study (laboratory and preclinical tests, not a human pain trial). ScienceDaily carried the New York University account on 10 October 2026. Mohamed Elsherif, Khalil B. Ramadi, and colleagues at NYU Abu Dhabi, with Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, report in Science Advances (2026; 12(24); doi 10.1126/sciadv.aeg1437). The device is described as about the size of a small seed, injected through a needle, and placed near a nerve. It sends electrical pulses powered wirelessly from outside the body, with no implanted battery and no connecting wire. Ultrasound and CT are described as ways to check where it sits. The team said it delivered stimulation in lab conditions and activated nerves in a living animal. The release does not name the species, and it states that relief of chronic pain or a change in movement disorders has not been shown in patients. Ramadi said the aim is an option beside medicines and surgically implanted stimulators, not a replacement already proven in the clinic. Educational notes. This is not a treatment available to start, and not medical advice.
Evidence level: Human study. A study in people, but an association isn't proof of cause.
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