Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Has electrical growth cone guidance found its potential?

Colin D McCaig1, Ann M Rajnicek, Bing Song

  • 1Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, UK. c.mccaig@abdn.ac.uk

Trends in Neurosciences
|June 25, 2002
PubMed
Summary

Direct-current electric fields (EFs) are crucial for nervous system development and regeneration. Recent research confirms their in vivo guidance of nerve growth, supporting their therapeutic potential for spinal cord repair.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Bioelectricity Buzz.

Bioelectricity·2026
Same author

Mixture-of-Experts Machine Learning Framework for Predictive Design of Biomass-Derived Hydrochar to Decarbonize Industrial Heat.

Environmental science & technology·2026
Same author

Data-In-situ Computing with One-Pixel-Multiple-Memristor Architecture for Neuromorphic Sequential Vision.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Graph-Enhanced Multi-Task Learning for Type 2 Diabetes Comorbidity Risk Prediction.

IEEE journal of biomedical and health informatics·2026
Same author

Gut microbiota and neurotransmitter metabolic profiling in a rat model simulating hypoactive sexual desire disorder.

The journal of sexual medicine·2026
Same author

Association between urinary antibiotic exposure and blood pressure parameters in reproductive-age men: a biomonitoring-based cross-sectional study in China.

Translational andrology and urology·2026

Area of Science:

  • Neurobiology
  • Developmental Neuroscience
  • Regenerative Medicine

Background:

  • Direct-current electric fields (EFs) are measurable in developing and adult nervous systems.
  • Evidence suggests EFs are essential for normal neurodevelopment and influence nerve growth rates and direction.
  • Previous skepticism regarding EFs as in vivo guidance cues for growth cones has persisted due to a lack of single-cell evidence.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the evidence for the role of direct-current electric fields in nervous system development and regeneration.
  • To address the historical dismissal of EFs as in vivo guidance cues for neuronal growth cones.
  • To highlight recent findings supporting EFs' role in guiding nerve growth in vivo and potential therapeutic applications.

Main Methods:

Related Experiment Videos

  • Review of existing literature on electric field effects in neurobiology.
  • Analysis of studies measuring endogenous electric fields in vivo.
  • Examination of research on growth cone guidance mechanisms, including chemotropic gradients and electric fields.

    • Main Results:

    • Direct-current electric fields are demonstrably present and influential in both embryonic and adult nervous systems.
    • EFs significantly impact nerve growth rate and direction in vitro and promote nerve regeneration in vivo.
    • Emerging evidence shows that growth cones can be guided by EFs in vivo, with potential mechanistic links to chemotropic guidance.

    Conclusions:

    • Direct-current electric fields play a vital, though often overlooked, role in nervous system development and regeneration.
    • Recent findings validate the in vivo function of EFs in guiding neuronal growth, challenging prior skepticism.
    • Ongoing clinical trials investigating DC EFs for human spinal cord regeneration signify a promising therapeutic future for electric field applications.