UC San Diego Researchers Map Vagus Nerve Therapies, Point to Future Advancements

Review synthesizes mechanisms, effects, and challenges in using vagus nerve modulation to treat diverse conditions

Published on Mar. 5, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A new review published in Comprehensive Physiology by UC San Diego researchers provides a comprehensive synthesis of the current state of vagus nerve modulation therapies, which are FDA-approved for treating conditions ranging from epilepsy to rheumatoid arthritis. The review identifies key mechanisms, variations in device parameters, and the challenge of individual patient variability, while also pointing to future advancements like closed-loop systems and AI-powered optimization.

Why it matters

Vagus nerve modulation is an emerging field with significant potential to treat a wide range of conditions by influencing brain circuits, inflammation, and organ function. However, the diversity of approaches and lack of standardization has made it difficult to compare results and develop the most effective personalized therapies. This review aims to provide a unifying framework to advance the field.

The details

The review, led by recent UC San Diego PhD graduate Troy (Yifeng) Bu and senior author Imanuel Lerman, MD, synthesizes over 660 references on how vagus nerve modulation therapies work and their effects across different organ systems. The authors found significant variations in the devices, stimulation parameters, and study methods used, making it challenging to directly compare results. They also highlighted the importance of individual patient factors, such as anatomy, autonomic nervous system function, and comorbidities, in determining responses to vagus nerve stimulation.

  • The review was published on March 5, 2026.

The players

Troy (Yifeng) Bu

A recent PhD graduate from the UC San Diego Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, UC San Diego Qualcomm Institute affiliate, and director of design engineering for InflammaSense.

Imanuel Lerman, MD

Professor of anesthesiology at UC San Diego School of Medicine, affiliate of UC San Diego Qualcomm Institute and VA San Diego Healthcare System, and co-founder and CEO of InflammaSense.

UC San Diego

The university where the researchers who authored the review are affiliated.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“There are now hundreds of papers talking about different mechanisms — how stimulating or blocking the vagus nerve modulates brain circuits, the immune system and organ systems like the heart, lungs and kidneys.”

— Troy (Yifeng) Bu, Recent PhD graduate, UC San Diego Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ucsd.edu)

“The paper identifies the most important discoveries and groups from the literature. It also tells the story of how the government, including DARPA, funded this work early on with the ElectRx program that, with follow-on agency funding via the NIH SPARC initiative, spurred this huge panoply of different treatments and therapeutics.”

— Imanuel Lerman, MD, Professor of anesthesiology, UC San Diego School of Medicine (ucsd.edu)

“We don't want to get ahead of ourselves, because we need to develop treatments specific for the person, organ and disease. We need to make sure the new therapeutics are appropriate for their specific uses.”

— Imanuel Lerman, MD, Professor of anesthesiology, UC San Diego School of Medicine (ucsd.edu)

What’s next

The authors say the next step is more precise, personalized therapy, using tools such as biomarkers, AI and closed-loop systems to adjust vagus nerve stimulation based on individual patient factors.

The takeaway

This comprehensive review highlights the significant progress made in using vagus nerve modulation to treat a wide range of conditions, while also identifying key challenges around standardization and individual variability that must be addressed to unlock the full potential of this emerging field of medicine.