Abstract
Dear colleagues and readers,
It is a pleasure to present to you another bumper issue of Bioelectricity. This is a somewhat unusual “special issue” made up in two halves! The first part is a continuation of the last two special issues on “Recent Developments in Electroporation,” dealing further with advancements in this technology. These are indeed exciting times in the electroporation field with ever-deepening mechanistic insights and widening applications. The fact that these articles have spilled over three successive issues is a clear sign of the intense activity in the field. Bioelectricity is delighted to be formally associated with the International Society for Electroporation-Based Technologies and Treatments. We look forward to the Society’s 6th international meeting in Daytona Beach, Florida, during September 27 to October 1 this year (https://wc2026.electroporation.net/). Bioelectricity is expected to be represented there.
The four articles on electroporation span multiple scales, from molecular-level investigations to device development and applied therapeutic technologies. Notable advances include the study by Williamson and colleagues on the specific role of high-voltage electric field parameters in shaping hepatic ablation in a porcine model. The authors called this approach “Integrated Time Nanosecond Pulse Irreversible Electroporation,” which promises much future potential. Dalmay and colleagues deal with the development of wideband delivery systems for applying sub-nanosecond pulsed electric fields, while Tolstykh and colleagues investigated the effect of ultra-short pulse stimulation on plasma membranes of two different cell types: one excitable, and the other non-excitable. Changes in membrane potential were followed optically using an organic fluorescent reporter and a custom-made streak imaging system. Finally, Apollonio and colleagues bring in ion channels, which have somewhat been lacking until now in the electroporation field! The focus is on TRPV4 ion channels expressed in a lipid bilayer and occurring in two different conformational states. Using molecular dynamic simulations to elucidate the involvement of the proteins in the electroporation process, the authors suggest opportunities for developing targeted therapeutic strategies. These articles emphasize technical, as well as conceptual, advances in the field with promising applications.
The second part was designed as a follow-up to the “Bioelectricity Cluster” that was organized by Rosalia Moreddu, Malavika Nair, and Massimo Morello and took place at Oxford University in April 2025. Also, four articles are currently included here, dealing mostly with various aspects of cancer bioelectricity. One of the problems in clinical applications of cancer bioelectricity is selectivity, that is, how to target the cancer’s bioelectric mechanisms (e.g., involving ion channels) selectively among the rest of the body’s physiological systems. As a step in this direction, Sima Singh and colleagues present a roadmap for bioelectric electrochemical sensing in cancer. Mentioned are wearable and implantable systems, machine learning, and patient-specific digital twins to enable real-time mapping of tumor bioelectricity including forecasting response to treatments. It is now well established that the membrane potential characteristics of cancer cells are markedly different from those of normal cells. At the most basic level, the resting potential is relatively depolarized in cancer cells. However, application of such distinct phenomena to the clinic at the tissue level is not trivial. In a landmark effort in this direction, Dany Adams and her team present their work on membrane voltage profiling as a novel intraoperative imaging methodology for rapid surgical margin analysis of excised tumors. As voltage imaging techniques improve, we can expect many more advances in this area. Interestingly, this work was performed within a company setup, and it is good to see bioelectricity becoming a commercial reality. Continuing the theme of cancer bioelectricity and its clinical exploitation, ever since the CELEX (“cellular excitability”) model of metastasis has been put forward, 1 it has been of interest to discover chemicals that will simultaneously block voltage-gated sodium channels and open potassium channels. The commentary by Djamgoz discusses such a recently described drug and its anticancer potential. Tissue culture models continue to be invaluable in experiments on cellular bioelectricity. Ryan Murray and colleagues describe in detail the requirements for scientific verification of experiments employing electrical stimulation in cultured cells including stem cells. Practical difficulties include the geometrical design of electrodes and the impact of electrode–electrolyte interfaces. This article should be very useful to scientists who wish to undertake such experimentation.
In addition, we have two very special extras. The first is the long-awaited “My Experiments in Bioelectricity” article by Michael Levin. Here, Dr. Levin has outlined the wide-ranging formative studies that he has performed in the bioelectricity field, covering synergistically development, regeneration, and cancer. His epic journey is continuing and, no doubt, will give much more dividends in the years to come. The second is a collection of recent bioelectricity articles related to health care, chosen and assembled personally by Sally Adee under the heading “Wonders of Bioelectricity.” This replaces just once Ann Rajnicek’s regular “Bioelectricity Buzz,” which will return in the next issue. Sally Adee’s recent book “We Are Electric” continues to make an impact globally (now in some nine different languages)!
Of course, there is a lot more to bioelectricity than health care, the theme of the current issue. We look forward to publishing more articles in this overall exciting area of science, including non-biomedical topics. As always, the editors would welcome suggestions for enhancing the scope of our special issues, as well as any other content.
We wish you an all-round good summer!