Novel Electrode Designs for Neurostimulation in Regenerative Medicine: Activation of Stem Cells

Abstract

Neural stem and progenitor cells (i.e., neural precursors) are found within specific regions in the central nervous system and have great regenerative capacity. These cells are electrosensitive and their behavior can be regulated by the presence of electric fields (EFs). Electrical stimulation is currently used to treat neurological disorders in a clinical setting. Herein we propose that electrical stimulation can be used to enhance neural repair by regulating neural precursor cell (NPC) kinetics and promoting their migration to sites of injury or disease. We discuss how intrinsic and extrinsic factors can affect NPC migration in the presence of an EF and how this impacts electrode design with the goal of enhancing tissue regeneration. We conclude with an outlook on future clinical applications of electrical stimulation and highlight technological advances that would greatly support these applications.

Deep-Brain Stimulation for Essential Tremor and Other Tremor Syndromes: A Narrative Review of Current Targets and Clinical Outcomes

“…Directional leads have been developed to allow eccentric stimulation around the lead's axis and can theoretically compensate malpositions of up to 1 mm [68]. Current commercial systems typically consist of ring contacts segmented in three sections that can be individually activated, although many other designs have been proposed [69]. Early experience has shown that directional stimulation can increase the therapeutic window while reducing the therapeutic current strength relative to omnidirectional stimulation [70][71][72][73][74].…”

Using a Digital Twin of an Electrical Stimulation Device to Monitor and Control the Electrical Stimulation of Cells in vitro

“…In recent years, electrical stimulation has (re-)emerged as a possible tool for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine ( Balint et al, 2013 ; da Silva et al, 2020 ). Applications include wound healing ( Zhao et al, 2006 ; Zhao, 2009 ), cardiac tissue engineering ( Tandon et al, 2009 ), neural stimulation ( Iwasa et al, 2020 ), bone regeneration ( Meng et al, 2013 ), and cartilage regeneration ( Jahr et al, 2015 ). As a prominent example, deep brain stimulation (DBS) has been established as a clinical therapy ( Krauss et al, 2020 ) with already more than 160,000 patients treated ( Lozano et al, 2019 ).…”

Facile Fabrication of Injectable Alginate and Poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene)‐Based Soft Electrodes toward the Goal of Neuro‐Regenerative Applications

“…Harnessing the potential of neural precursor cells (NPCs)(comprised of both stem and progenitor cells) found in the adult mammalian brain to promote neural repair has been at the forefront of developing novel tools for regenerative medicine. [1,2] A number of studies have established that NPCs are electrosensitive cells that can be activated by applied electric fields (EFs) whereby NPCs proliferate to expand in number, undergo differentiation into neuronal cell types, and migrate rapidly and directly toward the cathode, both in vitro and in vivo. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7] Hence, activation of NPCs through the application of EFs has the potential to facilitate neural repair following brain injury.…”