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Global Translational Medicine Electrical stimulation in therapy and biology

2.1.2. Ionic flux effectively. Patients undergoing therapy gained restored

Voltage-gated ion channels play a key role in the cellular nerve functioning, muscle strength, and cognition, and an
response to ES by allowing ions such as Na , K , and Ca² overall enhancement in well-being, attributed to improved
+
+
+
to move across the membrane. Among these, voltage-gated bio-energy circulation. The findings highlight the necessity
calcium channels are particularly important, as the influx to investigate the effectiveness of BMT as a therapeutic
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of Ca² into the cells is essential for intracellular signaling, approach for viral disease recovery.
+
neurotransmitter secretion, and gene expression. This In terms of enhancing protein–ligand binding, ES
calcium entry is generally coupled with changes in can improve the binding constants of ligands to their
+
+
intracellular Ca² stores and Ca² signaling, which receptors by altering the local membrane conditions. This
influences cell viability and renewal. 20 mechanism is critical in therapy that involves targeted
drug delivery and tissue engineering. 27
2.2. Permeability modulation
The extent of ES effects on cell membrane potentials
The electric current affects the structural and functional is deemed a promising therapeutic and biological
characteristics of the lipid bilayer and changes membrane phenomenon in medicine and biotechnology. In
permeability. This phenomenon is crucial in drug delivery neurorehabilitation, ES is used to restore action potential
systems, gene delivery, and cancer therapies.
and synaptic plasticity. It assists patients with spinal cord
2.2.1. Electroporation injuries, brain injuries, and stroke. Furthermore, it renews
the axons, fortifies neural connections, and encourages
Electroporation forms nanopores with the help of high functional gain by stimulating neurotrophic elements
electrical pulses to temporarily destabilize the membrane and significant pathways. Including ES in rehabilitation
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integrity. These pores permit molecules such as DNA, RNA, programs enhances motor activity and decreases the
and drugs to diffuse passively into the cells. This technique has muscle tone of the affected patient.
significantly transformed molecular medicine, particularly
in applications such as gene editing and immunotherapy. 21,22 In addition, ES also activates the fibroblast and
endothelial cells in tissue remodeling, promoting wound
2.2.2. Lipid bilayer dynamics healing and new blood vessel formation. It also stimulates

ES may alter the arrangement of lipids in the bilayer, osteoblast proliferation and bone remodeling, facilitating
affecting its fluidity and phase behavior. This reorganization the development of next-generation bioelectric scaffolds
1
affects membrane stability and the distribution of signaling for tissue regeneration. In oncology, electroporation-
molecules, such as the formation of lipid rafts. Such changes based therapies apply ES to increase drug uptake into
can control receptor aggregation and signal amplification. 23 cancer cells, augmenting the effect of treatments such as
electrochemotherapy and reducing systemic side effects.
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2.3. Membrane protein and receptor impact In addition, ES also enhances cancer immunotherapy by
Transport proteins, receptors, and ion channels are proteins facilitating the delivery of genes that stimulate immune
embedded in the cell membrane. They have diverse responses in tumors.
biochemical functions, including signal transduction. ES is very effective in treating cardiac and muscular
ES plays a significant role in the structure and coupling disorders (Figure 3). Devices such as pacemakers and
constitution of these proteins. defibrillators help regulate heart rhythms in patients with
ES creates an electrical field that alters the conformational arrhythmias or heart failure by synchronizing cardiac
state of voltage-sensitive membrane proteins. For instance, activity. Similarly, neuromuscular electrical stimulators
voltage-sensitive phosphatases change conformation to are used to treat muscle atrophy and improve patient
regulate the activity of the phosphatases and signaling mobility. Recent developments and growing insights into
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pathways. 24 the molecular mechanisms of ES suggest that its clinical
Moreover, ES enhances the functional competence and applications will continue to expand in the near future.
receptiveness of the receptors on the cell membrane. Due 3. Biological effects of ES on cellular
to increased clustering and redistribution, growth factor processes
receptors and neurotransmitters become more responsive,
leading to enhanced cellular activation. This effect has been ES has emerged as a complex, multifaceted technique
applied in nerve repair and wound healing treatments. A with broad applications in cell biology, regenerative
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recent case report demonstrated the successful application medicine, and tissue engineering. By regulating different
of this approach in treating post-COVID-19 symptoms cellular functions at or across the cellular signaling level,

Volume 4 Issue 3 (2025) 25 doi: 10.36922/gtm.7774