Epithelial Cells Found to Generate Bioelectric Signals During Injury

This groundbreaking discovery reveals that epithelial cells communicate through slow, persistent electrical signals, challenging long-held assumptions about their passive role.

• Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst discovered that epithelial cells emit bioelectric signals to communicate during injury, a phenomenon previously unknown.
• These signals, which rely heavily on calcium ions and ion channels, are similar in voltage to neuronal signals but are 1,000 times slower and can persist for hours.
• The signals can travel distances up to 40 times the length of the cells, coordinating responses over significant areas of tissue.
• The discovery has potential applications for advancing wound healing technologies and developing wearable bioelectric devices.
• Further research is underway to explore the role of other molecules in this signaling and to better understand its mechanisms and implications for medicine.

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