The Application of Electric Fields in Biology and Medicine

Hart, Francis X.; Palisano, John R.

doi:10.5772/intechopen.71683

Cited by 28 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 52 publications

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“…[215,216] During telophase/cytokinesis, non-uniform electric fields formed within the dividing cells, drive charged and polar macromolecules and organelles toward the cleavage furrow and hence lead to errors in cell division and cell death. [214,217] As it has been postulated that electric fields within this range should not penetrate the highly resistive cell membrane, [218] these effects may be downstreamed to EF effects on the cell membrane. This requires further investigation, but understanding EF effects on the cell membrane, and how these alter cell functions, could lead to efficacious EF therapies being developed.…”

Section: Tumor Treating Fields (Ttfs)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Toward Hijacking Bioelectricity in Cancer to Develop New Bioelectronic Medicine

Robinson

Jain

Sherman

et al. 2021

Advanced Therapeutics

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Bioelectronic medicine is a treatment modality that uses electricity to treat disease by altering the body's electrical communication systems. All cells are electrically active, in that they possess bioelectric circuitry generating a resting membrane potential and endogenous electric fields that influence cell functions and communication. There is now an accepted paradigm that cancer is characterized by malfunctions in cells' bioelectrical circuitry. This yields opportunities for bioelectronic medicine as novel treatments for cancer by manipulating its bioelectrical properties. To highlight the possibilities a bioelectrical approach can offer cancer therapy, the relevance of bioelectrical activity in cancer is reviewed and also how such activity can be hijacked in novel treatments. This includes sensing or measuring the electrical activity of cells for diagnostic and prognostic applications, controlling or altering bioelectricity including both ionic and faradaic current processes, and eliciting morphological changes using electric fields. Importantly, key links between cellular ionic and faradaic processes that contribute to cancer phenotypes are presented, which if considered and understood as a whole, can bring broad-reaching improvements to cancer therapy.

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Section: Tumor Treating Fields (Ttfs)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Toward Hijacking Bioelectricity in Cancer to Develop New Bioelectronic Medicine

Robinson

Jain

Sherman

et al. 2021

Advanced Therapeutics

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“…Electrical stimulation (ES) is an essential part of the human body physiology, which has relevant regulatory effects on cell motility, nutrient transport, and disease signaling, among others [1]. The effects due to the presence of electric fields and electric currents, generated by electric potentials, at both the cellular and tissue levels, play a key role in processes such as embryogenesis [2], tissue regeneration [3], and cancer development [4].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Computational Model for Cardiomyocytes Mechano-Electric Stimulation to Enhance Cardiac Tissue Regeneration

Urdeitx

Doweidar

2020

Mathematics

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Electrical and mechanical stimulations play a key role in cell biological processes, being essential in processes such as cardiac cell maturation, proliferation, migration, alignment, attachment, and organization of the contractile machinery. However, the mechanisms that trigger these processes are still elusive. The coupling of mechanical and electrical stimuli makes it difficult to abstract conclusions. In this sense, computational models can establish parametric assays with a low economic and time cost to determine the optimal conditions of in-vitro experiments. Here, a computational model has been developed, using the finite element method, to study cardiac cell maturation, proliferation, migration, alignment, and organization in 3D matrices, under mechano-electric stimulation. Different types of electric fields (continuous, pulsating, and alternating) in an intensity range of 50–350 Vm−1, and extracellular matrix with stiffnesses in the range of 10–40 kPa, are studied. In these experiments, the group’s morphology and cell orientation are compared to define the best conditions for cell culture. The obtained results are qualitatively consistent with the bibliography. The electric field orientates the cells and stimulates the formation of elongated groups. Group lengthening is observed when applying higher electric fields in lower stiffness extracellular matrix. Groups with higher aspect ratios can be obtained by electrical stimulation, with better results for alternating electric fields.

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“…Electric fields (EF) influence various behaviors, including embryogenesis, wound healing, polarity, differentiation, and motility in plants and animals (1)(2)(3). However, how electrical cues are received and translated into a cellular response in most life systems is poorly understood.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of a 50-Hz electric field on sleep quality and life span mediated by ultraviolet (UV)-A/blue light photoreceptor CRYPTOCHROME inDrosophila melanogaster

Kawasaki

Okano

Nedachi³

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Although electric fields (EF) exert beneficial effects on animal wound healing and differentiation, the molecular mechanisms of these effects have remained unclear for years. Therefore, we aimed to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying these effects in Drosophila melanogaster as a genetic animal model. The sleep quality of wild-type (WT) flies was improved by exposure to a 50-Hz (35 kv/m) constant electric field during the daytime, but not during the night. This effect was undetectable in Cryptochrome mutant (Cryb) flies. Exposure to a 50-Hz electric field under low nutrient conditions elongated the lifespan of male and female WT flies by ~18%, but not of three diferrent Cry mutants and Cry RNAi strains. Metabolome analysis indicated that the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content was 5-fold higher in intact WT than Cry gene mutant strains exposed to an electric field.A putative magnetoreceptor protein and UV-A/blue light photoreceptor, CRYPTOCHROME (CRY) is involved in electric field receptors in animals. The present findings constitute hitherto unknown genetic evidence of a CRY-based system that is electric-field sensitive in animals.

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The Application of Electric Fields in Biology and Medicine

Cited by 28 publications

References 52 publications

Toward Hijacking Bioelectricity in Cancer to Develop New Bioelectronic Medicine

Toward Hijacking Bioelectricity in Cancer to Develop New Bioelectronic Medicine

A Computational Model for Cardiomyocytes Mechano-Electric Stimulation to Enhance Cardiac Tissue Regeneration

Effects of a 50-Hz electric field on sleep quality and life span mediated by ultraviolet (UV)-A/blue light photoreceptor CRYPTOCHROME inDrosophila melanogaster

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