Lee Hana, Cho Seungkwan, Kim Doyong, Lee Taehyun, Kim Han Sung
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul, Gangwon 26493 South Korea.
Gfyhealth Inc., Seongnam, Gyeonggi 13488 South Korea.
Biomed Eng Lett. 2024 Mar 11;14(3):367-392. doi: 10.1007/s13534-024-00366-3. eCollection 2024 May.
Bioelectric medicine (BEM) refers to the use of electrical signals to modulate the electrical activity of cells and tissues in the body for therapeutic purposes. In this review, we particularly focused on the microcurrent stimulation (MCS), because, this can take place at the cellular level with sub-sensory application unlike other stimuli. These extremely low-level currents mimic the body's natural electrical activity and are believed to promote various physiological processes. To date, MCS has limited use in the field of BEM with applications in several therapeutic purposes. However, recent studies provide hopeful signs that MCS is more scalable and widely applicable than what has been used so far. Therefore, this review delves into the landscape of MCS, shedding light on the multifaceted applications and untapped potential of MCS in the realm of healthcare. Particularly, we summarized the hierarchical mediation from cell to whole body responses by MCS including its physiological applications. Our final objective of this review is to contribute to the growing body of literature that unveils the captivating potential of BEM, with MCS poised at the intersection of technological innovation and the intricacies of the human body.
生物电医学(BEM)是指利用电信号调节人体细胞和组织的电活动以达到治疗目的。在本综述中,我们特别关注微电流刺激(MCS),因为与其他刺激不同,它可以在细胞水平以亚感知方式进行。这些极低水平的电流模仿人体的自然电活动,并被认为能促进各种生理过程。迄今为止,MCS在生物电医学领域的应用有限,仅用于几种治疗目的。然而,最近的研究提供了令人鼓舞的迹象,表明MCS比目前已使用的方法更具扩展性和广泛适用性。因此,本综述深入探讨了MCS的情况,揭示了MCS在医疗保健领域的多方面应用和未开发的潜力。特别是,我们总结了MCS从细胞到全身反应的分级调节,包括其生理应用。本综述的最终目标是为不断增长的文献做出贡献,这些文献揭示了生物电医学的迷人潜力,而MCS正处于技术创新与人体复杂性的交叉点。