The use of physical energy for tissue healing

Oscillatory patterns permeate the universe and are essential requisite in living cells. Circadian clocks exist at the subcellular and single-cell level. Chromatin is assembled into rhythmic oscillatory domains driving stem cell growth/differentiation up to higher hierarchical embryo development. The cytoskeleton is organized as rhythmically oscillating networks, producing radioelectric fields that may turn local events into non-local, long-ranging paths. For decades, scientists have used chemical tools to affect cell behaviour. However, this view is now deeply challenged. Consonant with a major role of physical forces in living processes is the use of physical energies to modulate cell dynamics. To explore cell biology in the light of physics, we have recently established the Stem Wave Institute for Tissue Healing, within the context of GVM Care & Research—E.S. Health Science Foundation, Lugo, Italy. Here, we will discuss our recent findings that proper delivery of radioelectric fields is able to (i) finely tune stem cell multipotency, (ii) directly reprogramme human skin fibroblasts into cardiac-, neuronal-, and skeletal muscle-like cells, and (iii) revert stem cell senescence. We are dissecting vibrational modes as inherent properties of living cells, entailing nanomechanical signatures that can be used to direct stem cell fate. Mild mechanical forces are deployed to obtain human fluid tissues harbouring stem cells within their stromal–vascular niche. Synthe...
Source: European Journal of Heart Failure Supplements - Category: Cardiology Authors: Tags: Articles Source Type: research