A Michigan State University College of Engineering researcher has found success with a new tool that helps identify the roots of nerve pain in the body while it's in motion. 

 

Xinyue Liu, an MSU assistant professor in the College of Engineering's Chemical Engineering and Materials Science Department, and a team from MIT and other institutions were recently featured in Nature Magazine and other outlets for their research.

The research involved developing soft, fatigue-resistant, implantable fibers made of hydrogel that can illuminate pain while moving and stretching in an animal's body. 

“Now, people have a tool to study the diseases related to the peripheral nervous system, in very dynamic, natural, and unconstrained conditions,” Liu told the website PatientTalk.org.

Researchers have tested mice with fibers implanted in them and believe the fibers can be used as an experimental tool to identify nerve disorders in animals and develop potential treatments. In addition to Liu and team members from MIT, the project includes researchers from University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Harvard Medical School and the National Institutes of Health. 

Liu joined MSU as an assistant professor in 2023. She focuses on research to develop soft and adaptive materials that address the challenges of human health and climate change. 

For more information, check out Liu's College of Engineering profile page and the Liu Research Group page.

This story originally appeared on the College of Engineering website.