A new tool being developed at INL can explore electrical effects on cells

While we usually consider electronics as a fruit of human engineering, electrical signalling is also fundamental in biology, playing an essential role in cellular functions from neuronal communication and muscle contraction to cell migration, proliferation and differentiation. Electrical stimulation activating these biological functions is therefore also a powerful tool for both fundamental research and for therapeutic applications.

Alar Ainla, research scientist at INL, in collaboration with the Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS) at the University of Minho, has developed a novel multi-channel in vitro electrical stimulator to help study these effects in a versatile and accessible way. Their work was published in BMC Biomedical Engineering.

Cells can sense and respond to the electric fields. Exposure to an electric field changes the electrical potential across the cell membrane, influencing voltage-gated ion channels and calcium signalling, which can trigger nerve impulses, muscle contraction, and even long-term processes like synaptic plasticity, cell proliferation, and differentiation. In stem and neuronal cells, electrical stimulation can promote axon growth, enhance the expression of neuronal markers, and trigger the release of molecules that guide the differentiation of neighbouring cells. In other words, cells behave like tiny sensors and communicators, adjusting their internal processes in response to the external electrical cues.

“Understanding how cells respond to electrical stimulation is crucial for exploring fundamental biology and developing new therapies, for example, to rewire broken neuronal connections after spinal cord injury”, says Alar Ainla. “Our platform provides a simple and adaptable tool for researchers to study these effects under controlled conditions.”

In vitro platforms like this multi-channel stimulator allow scientists to reproduce experiments easily and observe cellular responses in real time. By combining careful engineering with biological insight, INL and ICVS’ work provides a versatile tool to study the mechanisms of electrical stimulation, with potential applications in regenerative medicine, neuroscience, and beyond.

This research was developed under the project WINGS, funded by the La Caixa Foundation.

Text by Catarina Moura, Science Communication Officer
Photography by Rui Andrade, Multimedia Officer