Bascom Palmer Eye Institute and Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, United States.
Neurosci Lett. 2012 Jun 25;519(2):134-7. doi: 10.1016/j.neulet.2012.02.003. Epub 2012 Feb 10.
The nervous system communicates in a language of electrical activities. The motivation to replace function lost through injury or disease through electrical prostheses has gained traction through steady advances in basic and translational science addressing the interface between electrical prostheses and the nervous system. Recent experiments suggest that electrical activity, signaling through specific molecular pathways, promotes neuronal survival and regeneration. Such data suggests that electrical prostheses, in addition to replacing lost function, may slow underlying degenerative disease or induce regenerative response. Here we review these data with a focus on retinal neurons, and discuss current efforts to translate this effect of electrical activity into clinically applicable treatments.
神经系统以电活动的形式进行交流。通过在电假体与神经系统之间的界面上进行基础和转化科学的稳步推进，通过电假体来替代因损伤或疾病而丧失的功能的动机已经获得了关注。最近的实验表明，电活动通过特定的分子途径进行信号传递，可促进神经元的存活和再生。这些数据表明，除了替代丧失的功能外，电假体还可能减缓潜在的退行性疾病或诱导再生反应。在这里，我们重点讨论视网膜神经元，并讨论将电活动的这种作用转化为临床适用的治疗方法的当前努力。
