Abstract
Tissue engineering is biomedical engineering that uses suitable biochemical and physicochemical factors to assemble functional constructs that restore or improve damaged tissues. Recently, cell therapies as a subset of tissue engineering have been very promising in the treatment of ocular diseases. One of the most important biophysical factors to make this happen is noninvasive electrical stimulation (ES) to target ocular cells that may preserve vision in multiple retinal and optic nerve diseases. The science of cellular and biophysical interactions is very exciting in regenerative medicine now. Although the exact effect of ES on cells is unknown, multiple mechanisms are considered to underlie the effects of ES, including increased production of neurotrophic agents, improved cell migration, and inhibition of proinflammatory cytokines and cellular apoptosis. In this review, we highlighted the effects of ES on ocular cells, especially on the corneal, retinal, and optic nerve cells. Initially, we summarized the current literature on the in vitro and in vivo effects of ES on ocular cells and then we provided the clinical studies describing the effect of ES on ocular complications. For each area, we used some of the most impactful articles to show the important concepts and results that advanced the state of these interactions. We conclude with reflections on emerging new areas and perspectives for future development in this field.
Highlights
The cell therapy strategy is rapidly growing for use in the treatment of degenerative ocular diseases [1]
Optic nerve damaged due to trauma, glaucoma, demyelinating optic neuropathy or toxic optic neuropathy, retinitis pigmentosa (RP), age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and retinal vascular accident-related diseases are the most common retinal diseases that are expected to profit from beneficial effects of stem cell therapy in the near future [6]
It has been shown that vascular endothelial progenitor cells were affected by a direct current of electric field signals, and their migration was guided through the establishment of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor signaling cascade in vitro
Summary
The cell therapy strategy is rapidly growing for use in the treatment of degenerative ocular diseases [1]. There are numerous studies on the use of stem cell therapy for the treatment of ocular and retinal degenerative diseases [2,3,4]. The eye is an electric-based organ and the ocular cells, in the retina, use endogenous electrical currents to function [15]. It seems that ES is a proper biophysical stimulating factor to be used in tissue engineering to alter cell behavior [16]. This study is aimed at reviewing the recent investigations on the effect of ES on ocular cells that could improve corneal and retinal cell behavior for ocular tissue regeneration and treatment
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