A Disposable Photovoltaic Patch Controlling Cellular Microenvironment for Wound Healing.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Regenerative Medicine
• Materials Science

Background:

• Electrical stimulation (ES) influences skin cell behavior and wound healing.
• Current ES devices for wound healing are cumbersome, requiring hospitalization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a disposable photovoltaic patch for generating ES to promote wound healing.
• To assess the efficacy of the patch in controlling the cellular microenvironment for enhanced healing.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a disposable photovoltaic patch utilizing organic solar cells.
• In vitro testing of ES effects on fibroblast cell migration, proliferation, and differentiation.
• In vivo application of the patch on skin wounds in mice, powered by visible light.

Main Results:

• In vitro: ES enhanced cell migration, proliferation, extracellular matrix protein expression, and myoblast differentiation.
• In vivo: The patch successfully delivered ES, promoting cutaneous wound healing in mice.
• Observed improvements in host-inductive cell proliferation, cytokine secretion, and protein synthesis.

Conclusions:

• The disposable photovoltaic patch effectively promotes wound healing by generating ES.
• This wearable technology actively stimulates endogenous cell regeneration, surpassing passive healing methods.