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Revealing Electromechanical Control of Tissue Homeostasis Using a Two-Layer Microfluidic Device

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Endogenous Bioelectric Signaling Networks: Exploiting Voltage Gradients for Control of Growth and Form.

Michael Levin^1,2, Giovanni Pezzulo³, Joshua M Finkelstein²

¹Biology Department, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155-4243;

Annual Review of Biomedical Engineering

|June 22, 2017

Summary

Developmental bioelectricity uses cell signaling to guide pattern formation and shape complex anatomy. Understanding this bioelectric code can advance bioengineering, regenerative medicine, and treat birth defects, injuries, and cancer.

Keywords:

bioelectricity gap junction ion channel morphological computation regeneration synthetic morphology

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Area of Science:

Bioengineering
Developmental Biology
Regenerative Medicine

Background:

Living systems self-assemble, regenerate, and remodel complex shapes through cellular networks.
Understanding how cellular networks construct and repair anatomical outcomes is crucial for bioengineering.
Developmental bioelectricity, exploiting endogenous signaling, is an emerging discipline regulating pattern formation.

Purpose of the Study:

Provide an overview of developmental bioelectricity.
Review recent data on bioelectricity controlling patterning in model systems.
Describe molecular tools for probing bioelectricity's role in anatomy control.

Main Methods:

Overview of the field of developmental bioelectricity.
Review of recent experimental data.
Description of molecular tools for investigation.

Main Results:

Bioelectricity is demonstrated to control patterning in diverse model systems.
Molecular tools are being utilized to investigate bioelectric roles in anatomical control.
Quantitative strategies from neuroscience may help decode the bioelectric system.

Conclusions:

Gaining control over in vivo shape regulation mechanisms will drive bioengineering advances.
This field holds potential for regenerative medicine and synthetic morphology.
Therapeutic applications include addressing birth defects, traumatic injury, and cancer.