Cell and Tissue Journal

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.
 

Abstract Aim: In this study biocompatible 3D graphene oxide foams have been used for Human neural stem cells (hNSCs) culturing.
Material and Methods: For the first time, graphene oxide foam were fabricated by precipitation of chemically exfoliated graphene oxide sheets in an aqueous suspension onto the PET substrate at ~80 oC under UV irradiation.
Results: By using scanning electron microscopy, the thickness of these foams (with linear density of ~10 GO sheets/µm) was measured around 10-50 µm. X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirmed that the UV irradiation resulted in partial reduction of the layers during fabrication process. Also Raman spectroscopy demonstrated the presence of multilayer graphene oxide sheets (≥3 layers) in the foam structure. The Young’s modulus of the foams was obtained about 1.7 GPa. Furthermore, Four probe method found that the electrical sheet resistance of the GOFs was low enough (17-24 Ω/sq). Conclusion: To produce the electrical simulation currents (~20 mA) used in differentiation of the neural stem cells into the neurons (rather than glial cells). Contact angle test also showed that rolling the GOFs resulted in formation of cross-section with superhydrophilic characteristic, inducing effective proliferation and differentiation of the hNSCs throughout the pores and interfaces of the scaffold. Moreover, Fluorescence imaging revealed that stimulating the hNSCs resulted in coaxial-like growth of the neural fibers and inducing differentiation of the neural stem cells in to the neurons.