Electrical stimulation (ES) changes cellular behaviors and thus constitutes a potential strategy to promote wound healing. However, well-controlled in vitro findings have yet to be translated to in vivo trials. This study was to demonstrate the feasibility and advantages of transplanting electrically activated cells (E-Cells) to help wound healing. Primary human skin fibroblasts were activated through well defined ES and cultured with keratinocytes to generate engineered human skin (EHS), which were transplanted to nu/nu mice. The electrically activated EHS grafts were analyzed at 20 and 30 days post-grafting, showing faster wound closure, thick epidermis, vasculature, and functional basement membrane containing laminin and type IV collagen that were totally produced by the implanted human cells. Because a variety of cells can be electrically activated, E-Cells may become a new cell source and the transplantation of E-Cells may represent a new strategy in wound healing and tissue engineering. J. Cell. Physiol. 231: 1814-1821, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
© 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.