A Review of the Impact of Electrical Stimulation on the Stem Cells Fate and Its Application in Regenerative Medicine and Cancer Treatment

Abstract

The electrical functions of the organs of the body, such as the nervous system and the bone marrow, has led to the use of one of the most widely used therapies called electrotherapy, especially in relieving pain. On the other hand, advancement of medical science in the field of stem cells and regenerative medicine has made many perspective in treatment. Electric field-based therapies have recently been widely used in the treatment of cancer. The main issues in regenerative medicine are the proliferation of stem cells to the required extent and their guidance towards differentiation into the target tissue. Electric field stimulation (EF) can also play an important role in generating appropriate stem cell responses and guiding stem cell differentiation through osteogenesis/neurogenesis/cardiomyogenesis. Nanosecond pulsed electric field as well as the tumor treating field have attracted a lot of attention today for the treatment of cancer. Major signaling pathways and cellular responses elicited by electrical stimulation are included reactive oxygen species and heat shock proteins, intracellular calcium ion fluctuation, so ATP production, clustering or re-accumulation of cell surface receptors, Skeletal regeneration and so on that they can affect the stem cell fate. Also, none invasive, ease of usage, and reasonable price have caused that the treatment of cancer with an electric field to be increasingly used. This study seeks to provide a brief overview of the effects of electrical signals on the behavior of stem cells, as well as examples of their therapeutic effects in the treatment of tissue lesions and cancer.