October 24, 2024

Innovative tissue regeneration battery promotes faster wound healing

Bioelectronic patch improves skin repair through electrical stimulation and by creating an anti-inflammatory chemical environment

Researchers at the University of Wollongong’s (UOW) Intelligent Polymer Research Institute (IPRI), in collaboration with Jilin University in China, have created a pioneering solution for wound healing using a bioelectronic patch powered by a magnesium-based battery.

Published in Advanced Materials, the study demonstrates how this tissue regeneration battery can speed up skin repair by combining electrical stimulation with an anti-inflammatory chemical environment that supports healing.

The research, ‘A Mg Battery-Integrated Bioelectronic Patch Provides Efficient Electrochemical Stimulations for Wound Healing’, delves into the concept of a tissue regeneration battery and how all of the processes occurring during discharge can be used to promote skin regeneration.

The paper was a collaboration between IPRI Director Distinguished Professor Gordon Wallace and Associate Professor Caiyun Wang with researchers from Jilin University.

There is much evidence to suggest that electrical stimulation plays a positive role in facilitating regeneration of various tissue types, including skin. The hardware traditionally used to deliver such stimulation is cumbersome. The batteries used are such that isolation from the tissue is required.

“The tissue regeneration battery (TRB) concept was conceived when we looked at conventional batteries and thought, what a waste of space and why are they not designed to interact with tissue directly?” Professor Wallace said.

“This work illustrates that if we are clever with electrode choice, we can address these issues and get more effective, direct electrical stimulation. Then we can take things to a new level by using the byproducts of battery discharge to provide a chemical environment that is anti-inflammatory and promotes proliferation of healthy cells.”

As with all batteries, the structure described in the paper comprises of two electrodes and an electrolyte.

“Imagine designing those components so that they can safely integrate with living tissue to provide energy to stimulate biological systems. As a battery discharges electrons are produced at one electrode and are consumed at the other generating a current flow,” Professor Wallace said.

“Chemical reactions are associated with these electron transfers. In conventional batteries, the composition of the electrodes and/or the nature of the products of the chemical reactions during current flow causes cell death. So, we need a complete redesign.”

These were the thoughts that formed the basis of this published work, showing that using a Mg electrode (Mg ions generated during battery discharge) and a conductive gel electrode (H2 produced during battery discharge), the team could make use of these induced chemical environments in concert with electrical stimulation to promote wound repair. Wounds healed twice as fast as the control in a dermal remodelling study.

“This enabled regulation of the inflammatory response and more rapid proliferation of cells involved in wound healing with dramatic improvements in wound healing observed. A huge thanks to our colleagues at Jilin University who led the charge on this collaborative work,” Professor Wallace added.

Paper co-author and collaborator Associate Professor Xiaoteng Jia from Jilin University said: "More than 10 years ago, we demonstrated various configurations of this new concept   using conducting polymers as an active component.

“Here we have gone significantly further to design electrochemical interactions between cells and the battery. The current flow and the associated products generated at both electrodes contribute to cell regulation. Other areas, such as bone regeneration, neuromodulation systems may also benefit from this approach.”

ABOUT THE RESEARCH

‘A Mg Battery-Integrated Bioelectronic Patch Provides Efficient Electrochemical Stimulations for Wound Healing’ by Xuenan Ma, Yan Zhou, Meiying Xin, Hongming Yuan, Danming Chao, Fangmeng Liu, Xiaoteng Jia, Peng Sun, Caiyun Wang, Geyu Lu, and Gordon Wallace is published in Advanced Materials, https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202410205