Documenting an Electrical Cell Stimulation Experiment–Guidelines at Work

Budde, Kai and Neuhaus, Elisa and Molina, Francia and Zimmermann, Julius and Arbeiter, Nils and Storch, Alexander and van Rienen, Ursula and Uhrmacher, Adelinde M. (2020) Documenting an Electrical Cell Stimulation Experiment–Guidelines at Work. In: Conference on Progress in Electrically Active Implants Tissue and Functional Regeneration (ELAINE 2020), 29-30 Sep 2020, Virtual. Proceedings,, Rostock, Germany, p. 21.

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Abstract

Using electrical stimulation (ES) as a treatment option in a variety of medical applications has been studied for centuries [1]. However, researchers are still trying to better understand the effects of ES [2] as well as endogenous electric fields that appear within living matter [3]. Basic research in this field includes in vitro experiments with cells that play a vital role in the tissue to be treated (e.g., neural or mesenchymal stem cells for deep brain stimulation or bone/cartilage regeneration, respectively). In addition to the uncertainty of established wet-lab experiments, for instance, due to the variability of cells, the complexity and uncertainty inherent to the ES instrumentation have to be considered. For example, electrolytic processes or double layer effects may significantly influence the applied voltage or current. Therefore, thorough documentation is a prerequisite for the replication of ES experiments. It also supports the translation of the setup and findings of these experiments into computer simulations such as the simulation of electric field strengths or intracellular signaling pathways. This will eventually lead to a better understanding of ES. We have extended the Minimum Information About a Cellular Assay (MIACA) guideline with ES-specific parts and presented the advantages of using ELNs [4]. Now, we will show our documentation approach at work for an alternate current stimulation experiment of neural stem cells where voltage- and current-controlled stimulation are compared.