Skin cells have been found to communicate through slow-motion electric pulses, a process that was previously thought to be exclusive to nerve cells. The signals move at a slower pace than nerve impulses but can be detected up to 500 micrometers away, potentially helping injured cells’ neighbors prepare for wound healing. The study conducted by bioengineer Sun-Min Yu and engineering scientist Steve Granick from the University of Massachusetts Amherst involved growing human skin cells and dog kidney cells on electrode-lined chips and measuring shifts in electrical activity after blasting some cells with lasers.
The electrical pulses generated by skin and kidney cells were found to be driven by the flow of calcium ions and have a similar voltage to nerve cell zaps. However, the spikes move much slower than nerve cell signals, taking one to two seconds to transmit their electrical messages compared to the milliseconds that nerve cell impulses last. This slow process nearly went unnoticed in the study, as the software used to detect the signals was set to overlook anything slower than 500 milliseconds until the constraint was removed.
Wounded cells were observed to send pulses for over five hours, potentially signaling neighboring cells to eliminate damaged ones and begin replicating to repair the wound. This slow and long-lasting signaling mechanism aligns with the time frame of wound healing by epithelial cells, which occurs over days to weeks. This discovery provides a new perspective on the role of electrical activity in wound healing and emphasizes the complexity of the process involving different aspects, including short bursts of electrical activity.
The findings of this study shed light on a new aspect of wound healing that involves electrical communication between cells, challenging the previous understanding of how skin cells respond to injuries. While nerve cells drive quick reactions, epithelial cells engage in slower electrical messaging that spans over hours, prioritizing wound repair and regeneration. The significance of electric fields in wound healing processes is highlighted, prompting a reconsideration of their role in conjunction with biochemical and mechanical signals.
The study focused on examining electrical propagation in two-dimensional sheets just one cell thick. Future research aims to explore how epithelial cells utilize these electrical pulses for communication in three-dimensional structures and with other cell types, potentially uncovering new mechanisms of cell signaling and interaction. Additionally, this discovery emphasizes the importance of understanding the various dimensions, including time, involved in the complex and intricate process of wound healing, offering insights into potential therapeutic interventions and treatments.
