Bioelectricity最新文献

The Membrane Physiology Symposium was created with the goal of joining basic research with technology companies, where questions and conversations are open and welcomed in a universal language. For many years, academic physiology research areas have been naturally siloed into their own niche communities, which can surely be beneficial. Linking different technological application areas with varied research sectors is an integral formula for successful scientific breakthroughs. The meeting covers a wide variety of topics related to channelopathies, neurological and cardiac disease, drug development, and therapeutic applications, with research programs represented by core academic facilities, medical science institutions, small and large pharmaceutical enterprises, as well as novel cell-based and reagent providers. For this reason, gathering the brightest minds of all relevant fields in one integrative forum is essential for new avenues of discovery, development, and process optimization to occur.

Pulsed electric field (PEF) is an innovative physical method for food processing characterized by low energy consumption and short processing time. This technology represents a sustainable procedure to extend food shelf-life, enhance mass transfer, or modify food structure. The main mechanism of action of PEF for food processing is the increment of the permeability of the cell membranes by electroporation. However, it has also been shown that PEF may modify the technological and functional properties of proteins. Generating a high-intensity electric field necessitates the flow of an electric current that may have side effects such as electrochemical reactions and temperature increments due to the Joule effect that may affect food components such as proteins. This article presents a critical review of the knowledge on the extraction of proteins assisted by PEF and the impact of these treatments on protein composition, structure, and functionality. The required research for understanding what happens to a protein when it is under the action of a high-intensity electric field and to know if the mechanism of action of PEF on proteins is different from thermal or electrochemical effects is underlying.

Despite the elucidation of the many processes by which a single eukaryotic cell develops into a complex mature organism, it is still puzzling to some biologists how it is that an unvarying, interconnected set of processes becomes coordinated and insulated from a stochastic universe. This article suggests that electromagnetic processes deriving from the chemistry of an organism may provide such coordination. Specifically, the author develops the pacemaker concept, the periodic, autonomous electrical signal to the entire embryo, the result of which, after each pulse, is to alter or enlarge the transcriptome to produce the next level of complexity and maturity of the organism.

Background: Nano-Pulse Stimulation (NPS) therapy applies electric pulses in the nanosecond domain to initiate regulated cell death in the treated tissues. This nonthermal therapy has been used to treat a wide range of murine tumors and has been shown to activate the immune system to inhibit the growth of rechallenge tumors, as well as untreated, abscopal tumors when accompanied by the injection of immune system stimulants into the treated tumors. Clinical trials have begun using NPS to treat basal cell carcinoma and hepatocellular carcinoma.

Methods: Murine tumors can be easily imaged when the tumor cells are injected intradermally so that they grow within the mouse skin. Pulling the skin over a translucent light post shines light through the skin and makes it easy to treat the tumor and identify the treatment zone.

Results: Original research using murine tumor models is described, including melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma, lung carcinoma, breast carcinoma, and pancreatic carcinoma. The energy required to ablate these tumors has been determined with pancreatic carcinoma and lung carcinoma exhibiting 90% ablation with 240 mJ/mm³, lung carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma requiring 360 mJ/mm³, and melanoma requiring 480 mJ/mm³. NPS therapy initiated a variable immune response indicated by the rejection of injected rechallenge tumor cells with melanoma and hepatocellular carcinoma exhibiting the strongest response and lung carcinoma, the weakest response. Following the original research data, a review of human clinical trials using NPS therapy is presented.

Conclusions: NPS therapy offers a nonthermal, drug-free approach for oncology, which is limited only by applying energy to the tumor. This new immunogenic modality is just beginning to be applied in the clinic. The 87% efficacy of the first large clinical trial conducted by several medical personnel is impressive and indicates that NPS is an effective new modality for cancer treatment.