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New Opportunities for Electric Fields in Promoting Wound Healing: Collective Electrotaxis
Abstract
Significance
It has long been hypothesized that naturally occurring electric fields (EFs) aid wound healing by guiding cell migration. Consequently, the application of EFs has significant potential for promoting wound healing. However, the mechanisms underlying the cellular response to EFs remain unclear. Recent Advances： Although the directed migration of isolated single cells under EFs has been studied for decades, only recently has experimental evidence demonstrated the distinct collective migration of large sheets of keratinocytes and corneal epithelial cells in response to applied EFs. Accumulating evidence suggests that the emergent properties of cell groups in response to EF guidance offer new opportunities for EF-assisted directional migration.Critical issues
In this review, we provide an overview of the field of collective electrotaxis, highlighting key advances made in recent years. We also discuss advanced engineering strategies utilized to manipulate collective electrotaxis.Future directions
We outline a series of unanswered questions in this field and propose potential applications of collective electrotaxis in developing electrical stimulation technologies for wound healing.Many UC-authored scholarly publications are freely available on this site because of the UC's open access policies. Let us know how this access is important for you.