MELBOURNE, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) -- Scientists in Australia have discovered how tiny electrical pulses can steer stem cells as they grow, paving the way for improved lab-grown tissues, organs, nerves and bones.
Researchers used advanced atomic force microscopy to track how stem cells change their structure when exposed to electrical stimulation, a media statement of Australia's Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) said Wednesday.
The study revealed how living stem cells physically respond to external signals in real time, reshaping themselves within minutes and setting off changes that influence what type of cell they eventually become, it said.
The team is exploring how stem cells respond to physical and electrical cues over traditional chemicals, enabling materials that mimic the body's natural environment for engineered tissues and organs.
Amy Gelmi, a senior lecturer at the RMIT School of Science, who led the work, noted that most researchers use chemicals, like special solutions to induce muscle or bone, to control stem cell development, though this approach has limitations.
Co-researcher Peter Sherrell from RMIT's School of Science said the research shows stem cells respond to tiny electrical signals beyond chemicals, enabling precise control to form bone, nerve or muscle, and promising advances in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
Even subtle electrical changes can alter the stiffness and shape of a cell's internal skeleton, which in turn affects how it develops, researchers said.
The team combined experiments with computer modelling to predict how cells respond to different electrical patterns, paving the way for practical therapies for wound healing, implant integration and organ regeneration.
"That gives us a roadmap for designing materials or devices that talk to cells in a language they understand," said co-researcher Joseph Berry from the University of Melbourne. ■