A study by scientists at the Canadian University of Laval showed that the application of a low-intensity electric current could speed up the healing of skin wounds, such as foot ulcers, which some diabetics suffer from. In the laboratory, the researchers found that electricity has a positive effect on the proliferation and migration of normal fibroblasts, cells that play an important role in the early healing process, according to the results of this study. findings are published in the Journal of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine.
“Our goal is to help those patients who have open ulcers and are unable to heal,” Laval, a medical professor at Laval Medical School, was quoted as saying by the Canadian press.
By comparing fibroblasts taken from healthy subjects to fibroblasts taken from diabetic subjects who had been amputated from one foot, the researchers found that an electric current of 20 or 40 millivolts / mm had no effect on healthy cells. In contrast, it appeared to promote the proliferation and migration of fibroblasts from diabetic subjects. The level of a marker of fibroblast proliferation, the Ki-67 protein, was three times higher when cells were subjected to electrical stimulation. In addition, a tear on the cell culture closed twice as fast under electrical stimulation, say researchers who admit that they do not understand why cells from diabetics respond better than cells from healthy donors. It is estimated that about 15% of people with diabetes will suffer from a foot ulcer in their lifetime. This problem is characterized by poorly healing skin lesions and can lead to infections that can lead to amputation.
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