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Electromagnetic Regenerative Bioengineering: Updates and Future Directions

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A special issue of Bioengineering (ISSN 2306-5354). This special issue belongs to the section "Regenerative Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2024 | Viewed by 7926

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Special Issue Editor

Prof. Alfredo Franco-Obregón

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Guest Editor

Department of Surgery, iHealthTech, National University Singapore, Singapore
Interests: Mechanobiology; Electromagnetics; Electrophysiology; Flow Cytometry; Genetic and Regenerative Engineering Electromagnetics; Genetic and Regenerative Engineering

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues.

Magnetic fields are ubiquitous and inescapable. Magnetic fields of all configurations inundate our surroundings, both man-made in origin as well as those that are natural to our biosphere. Life as we know it evolved in an electromagnetic realm, and hence has adapted to the presence of electromagnetic fields. Indeed, biochemistry itself is set to threshold under ambient magnetic conditions. Paradoxically, the shear diversity of magnetic fields that we are exposed to on a daily basis and the different manners in which they may influence life’s processes has ultimately led to a vast number of experimental paradigms being pursued in scientific studies. This has inadvertently created some degree of discordance in the field, as some electromagnetic paradigms may be permissive in one cellular scenario, but inhibitory in another. Moreover, a given magnetic paradigm may implicate more than one magnetically sensitive pathway depending on different aspects of the magnetic signal being applied. In this issue of Bioengineering we set out to bring some resolution to the field of electromagnetics by discussing: 1) the most common types of magnetic field paradigms employed in scientific studies; 2) the molecular moieties and cellular pathways that are believed to be targeted by the employed electromagnetic paradigms; and 3) the developmental processes modulated by said electromagnetic paradigms.

Prof. Alfredo Franco-Obregón
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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Keywords

mitochondria
oxidative stress
electromagnetism
development
ROS

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 2187 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

Magnetic Field Intervention Enhances Cellular Migration Rates in Biological Scaffolds

by Amy M. Vecheck, Cameron M. McNamee, Renee Reijo Pera and Robert J. Usselman

Bioengineering 2024, 11(1), 9; https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering11010009 - 22 Dec 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1560

Abstract

The impact of magnetic fields on cellular function is diverse but can be described at least in part by the radical pair mechanism (RPM), where magnetic field intervention alters reactive oxygen species (ROS) populations and downstream cellular signaling. Here, cellular migration within three-dimensional scaffolds was monitored in an applied oscillating 1.4 MHz radiofrequency (RF) magnetic field with an amplitude of 10 µT and a static 50 µT magnetic field. Given that cellular bioenergetics can be altered based on applied RF magnetic fields, this study focused on a magnetic field configuration that increased cellular respiration. Results suggest that RF accelerated cell clustering and elongation after 1 day, with increased levels of clustering and cellular linkage after 7 days. Cell distribution analysis within the scaffolds revealed that the clustering rate during the first day was increased nearly five times in the RF environment. Electron microscopy provided additional topological information and verified the development of fibrous networks, with a cell-derived matrix (CDM) visualized after 7 days in samples maintained in RF. This work demonstrates time-dependent cellular migration that may be influenced by quantum biology (QB) processes and downstream oxidative signaling, enhancing cellular migration behavior. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Electromagnetic Regenerative Bioengineering: Updates and Future Directions)

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15 pages, 3553 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Concurrent Optical- and Magnetic-Stimulation-Induced Changes on Wound Healing Parameters, Analyzed by Hyperspectral Imaging: An Exploratory Case Series

by Jürg Traber, Thomas Wild, Jörg Marotz, Martin C. Berli and Alfredo Franco-Obregón

Bioengineering 2023, 10(7), 750; https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering10070750 - 23 Jun 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1221

Abstract

The effects of concurrent optical and magnetic stimulation (COMS) therapy on wound-healing-related parameters, such as tissue oxygenation and water index, were analyzed by hyperspectral imaging: an exploratory case series. Background: Oedema and inadequate perfusion have been identified as key factors in delayed wound healing and have been linked to reduced mitochondrial respiration. Targeting mitochondrial dysfunction is a promising approach in the treatment of therapy refractory wounds. This sub-study aimed to investigate the effects of concurrent optical and magnetic stimulation (COMS) on oedema and perfusion through measuring tissue oxygenation and water index, using hyperspectral imaging. Patients and methods: In a multi-center, prospective, comparative clinical trial, eleven patients with chronic leg and foot ulcers were treated with COMS additively to Standard of Care (SOC). Hyperspectral images were collected during patient visits before and after treatment to assess short- and long-term hemodynamic and immunomodulatory effects through changes in tissue oxygenation and water index. Results: The average time for wound onset in the eleven patients analyzed was 183 days, with 64% of them being considered unresponsive to SOC. At week 12, the rate of near-complete and complete wound closure was 64% and 45%, respectively. COMS therapy with SOC resulted in an increased short-term tissue oxygenation over the 8-week treatment phase, with oxygen levels decreasing in-between patient visits. The study further found a decrease in tissue water content after the therapy, with a general accumulation of water levels in-between patient visits. This study’s long-term analysis was hindered by the lack of absolute values in hyperspectral imaging and the dynamic nature of patient parameters during visits, resulting in high interpatient and intervisit variability. Conclusions: This study showed that COMS therapy as an adjunct to SOC had a positive short-term effect on inflammation and tissue oxygenation in chronic wounds of various etiologies. These results further supported the body of evidence for safety and effectiveness of COMS therapy as a treatment option, especially for stagnant wounds that tended to stay in the inflammatory phase and required efficient phase transition towards healing. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Electromagnetic Regenerative Bioengineering: Updates and Future Directions)

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Review

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23 pages, 2271 KiB

Open AccessReview

Harmonizing Magnetic Mitohormetic Regenerative Strategies: Developmental Implications of a Calcium–Mitochondrial Axis Invoked by Magnetic Field Exposure

by Alfredo Franco-Obregón

Bioengineering 2023, 10(10), 1176; https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering10101176 - 10 Oct 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3617

Abstract

Mitohormesis is a process whereby mitochondrial stress responses, mediated by reactive oxygen species (ROS), act cumulatively to either instill survival adaptations (low ROS levels) or to produce cell damage (high ROS levels). The mitohormetic nature of extremely low-frequency electromagnetic field (ELF-EMF) exposure thus makes it susceptible to extraneous influences that also impinge on mitochondrial ROS production and contribute to the collective response. Consequently, magnetic stimulation paradigms are prone to experimental variability depending on diverse circumstances. The failure, or inability, to control for these factors has contributed to the existing discrepancies between published reports and in the interpretations made from the results generated therein. Confounding environmental factors include ambient magnetic fields, temperature, the mechanical environment, and the conventional use of aminoglycoside antibiotics. Biological factors include cell type and seeding density as well as the developmental, inflammatory, or senescence statuses of cells that depend on the prior handling of the experimental sample. Technological aspects include magnetic field directionality, uniformity, amplitude, and duration of exposure. All these factors will exhibit manifestations at the level of ROS production that will culminate as a unified cellular response in conjunction with magnetic exposure. Fortunately, many of these factors are under the control of the experimenter. This review will focus on delineating areas requiring technical and biological harmonization to assist in the designing of therapeutic strategies with more clearly defined and better predicted outcomes and to improve the mechanistic interpretation of the generated data, rather than on precise applications. This review will also explore the underlying mechanistic similarities between magnetic field exposure and other forms of biophysical stimuli, such as mechanical stimuli, that mutually induce elevations in intracellular calcium and ROS as a prerequisite for biological outcome. These forms of biophysical stimuli commonly invoke the activity of transient receptor potential cation channel classes, such as TRPC1. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Electromagnetic Regenerative Bioengineering: Updates and Future Directions)

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