Scientists have created a groundbreaking biochip that can heal wounds up to three times faster-using electricity. This technology could transform the treatment of chronic wounds, especially for people with conditions like diabetes, poor circulation, or ageing, where healing is often slow and complicated.
The human body naturally uses electric fields to help repair injuries. These fields guide skin cells, called keratinocytes, to move toward a wound to start the healing process. Researchers from the University of Freiburg in Germany decided to amplify this natural process by designing a bioelectronic platform that applies electrical stimulation directly to wounds.
They created a “wound-on-a-chip,” which is a small biochip with artificial skin cells grown on it. Using this platform, they tested how electric fields could speed up wound healing. They found that when electricity was applied to one side of the wound, skin cells migrated faster, leading to quicker healing.
Chronic wounds are a major issue worldwide, especially for elderly people and those with medical conditions like diabetes or poor blood circulation. Such wounds take a long time to heal, leaving patients vulnerable to infections and, in severe cases, leading to amputations.
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Maria Asplund, a bioelectronics scientist from the University of Freiburg and Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, emphasized the importance of this discovery. “Chronic wounds are a huge societal problem that we don’t hear much about,” she said. “Our method could be a game changer for diabetic and elderly people, helping them heal wounds that previously wouldn’t heal.”
The researchers tested their method by comparing two groups of skin cells. One group was exposed to an electric field, while the other was left to heal naturally. The results were impressive—wounds treated with electricity healed up to three times faster than those without.
Electric fields work by guiding skin cells in a specific direction, allowing them to move quickly and efficiently toward the wound. Without electrical stimulation, these cells move randomly, which slows down the healing process.
The research team also ensured that the electric fields used in their tests were safe. None of the skin cells were damaged during the process, even those mimicking diabetes-affected cells.
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For people with diabetes, even small cuts can turn into long-lasting wounds that are difficult to heal. The study revealed that electrically stimulated diabetic cells healed almost as fast as healthy cells.
“We saw that when we mimic diabetes in the cells, the wounds on the chip heal very slowly,” said Asplund. “However, with electric stimulation, we can increase the speed of healing so that the diabetes-affected cells almost correspond to healthy skin cells.”
This breakthrough could provide significant relief for millions of diabetes patients worldwide, reducing their risk of infections and complications.
Although the biochip has shown excellent results in the lab, the next challenge is to test this technology on real wounds in humans. The researchers are now working on improving the system to make it practical and affordable for real-world use.
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“We are now looking at how different skin cells interact during stimulation, to take a step closer to a realistic wound,” Asplund said. “We want to develop a concept to be able to ‘scan’ wounds and adapt the stimulation based on an individual wound. We are convinced that this is the key to effectively helping individuals with slow-healing wounds in the future.”
The materials used in the experiment are inexpensive and easy to find, making the method potentially accessible to hospitals and clinics worldwide.
Chronic wounds affect millions of people globally and pose a significant challenge to healthcare systems. In the U.S. alone, over 8 million people suffer from chronic wounds each year, according to a report from the National Library of Medicine.
These wounds not only cause pain and discomfort but also increase healthcare costs due to prolonged treatments and hospital stays. The electric wound-healing technology could reduce these burdens by speeding up recovery times and preventing complications.
The study, published in the journal Lab on a Chip
