title: Effects of electrical stimulation on rat limb regeneration, a new look at an old model.
abstract: Limb loss is a devastating disability and while current treatments provide aesthetic and functional restoration, they are associated with complications and risks. The optimal solution would be to harness the body's regenerative capabilities to regrow new limbs. Several methods have been tried to regrow limbs in mammals, but none have succeeded. One such attempt, in the early 1970s, used electrical stimulation and demonstrated partial limb regeneration. Several researchers reproduced these findings, applying low voltage DC electrical stimulation to the stumps of amputated rat forelimbs reporting "blastema, and new bone, bone marrow, cartilage, nerve, skin, muscle and epiphyseal plate formation". In spite of these encouraging results this research was discontinued. Recently there has been renewed interest in studying electrical stimulation, primarily at a cellular and subcellular level, and studies have demonstrated changes in stem cell behavior with increased proliferation, differentiation, matrix formation and migration, all important in tissue regeneration. We applied electrical stimulation, in vivo, to the stumps of amputated rat limbs and observed significant new bone, cartilage and vessel formation and prevention of neuroma formation. These findings demonstrate that electricity stimulates tissue regeneration and form the basis for further research leading to possible new treatments for regenerating limbs.
authors.affiliation: Frankfurt Initiative for Regenerative Medicine, Experimental Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery, J.W. Goethe University, Friedrichsheim gGmbH, Marienburgstraße 2, Frankfurt/Main, 60528, Germany.
authors.forename: Liudmila P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Leppik
authors.affiliation: Frankfurt Initiative for Regenerative Medicine, Experimental Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery, J.W. Goethe University, Friedrichsheim gGmbH, Marienburgstraße 2, Frankfurt/Main, 60528, Germany.|Department of Orthopedics, J.W. Goethe University, Friedrichsheim gGmbH, Marienburgstraße 2, Frankfurt/Main, 60528, Germany.
authors.forename: Dara
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Froemel
authors.affiliation: Frankfurt Initiative for Regenerative Medicine, Experimental Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery, J.W. Goethe University, Friedrichsheim gGmbH, Marienburgstraße 2, Frankfurt/Main, 60528, Germany.|Department of Orthopedics, J.W. Goethe University, Friedrichsheim gGmbH, Marienburgstraße 2, Frankfurt/Main, 60528, Germany.
authors.forename: Andrei
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Slavici
authors.affiliation: Frankfurt Initiative for Regenerative Medicine, Experimental Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery, J.W. Goethe University, Friedrichsheim gGmbH, Marienburgstraße 2, Frankfurt/Main, 60528, Germany.
authors.forename: Zachri N
authors.initials: ZN
authors.lastname: Ovadia
authors.affiliation: Frankfurt Initiative for Regenerative Medicine, Experimental Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery, J.W. Goethe University, Friedrichsheim gGmbH, Marienburgstraße 2, Frankfurt/Main, 60528, Germany.
authors.forename: Lukasz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hudak
authors.affiliation: Department of Trauma, Hand and Reconstructive Surgery, J.W. Goethe University, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, Frankfurt am Main, 60590, Germany.
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Henrich
authors.affiliation: Department of Trauma, Hand and Reconstructive Surgery, J.W. Goethe University, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, Frankfurt am Main, 60590, Germany.
authors.forename: Ingo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Marzi
authors.affiliation: Frankfurt Initiative for Regenerative Medicine, Experimental Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery, J.W. Goethe University, Friedrichsheim gGmbH, Marienburgstraße 2, Frankfurt/Main, 60528, Germany.
authors.forename: John H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Barker
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000502:physiology; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005121:Extremities / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012038:Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*