Novel Electroporation Technique Could Prevent Scar Formation

A new study suggests that short, pulsed, electric fields could be used to damage collagen cells, the proliferation of which causes permanent scarring at a burn injury site.

Developed by researchers at Tel Aviv University (Israel) and Harvard University (Cambridge, MA, USA), the non-invasive partial irreversible electroporation (pIRE) technique is intended to try and control this natural response to trauma. By harnessing microsecond-pulsed, high-voltage, non-thermal electric fields, pIRE causes irreversible damage to the collagen cells. But the researchers had to find a delicate balance between creating a new wound and over-healing the existing wound, because scarring is the body's natural way of healing.

They therefor conducted an experimental study that involved treating contact burn injuries in rats during five therapy sessions over a six month period, with varying treatment parameters assessed in order to optimize the treatment protocol. Scar surface area and structural properties of the scar were assessed with histology and with non-invasive, longitudinal imaging using polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography (OCT).

The results showed that pIRE using 200 pulses of 250 Volts and 70 μs duration, delivered at 3 Hz every 20 days during a total of five therapy sessions resulted in a 57.9% reduction of the scar area, compared with untreated scars, resulting in structural features approaching those of normal skin. The researchers cautioned, however, that unlike humans, rats do not develop hypertrophic scars, and that the use of a rat animal model is thus a limiting factor for future research. The study was published on July 5, 2016, in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology.

“Surgical excision, laser therapy, electron-beam irradiation, mechanical compression dressing, silicone sheet application and other techniques have been tested to treat scars over the years,” said lead author Alexander Golberg, PhD, of the TAU Center for Engineering in Medicine. “But there have been only modest improvements in the healing outcomes among all these treatments. We believe that the technology we developed, called partial irreversible electroporation, can be used to prevent debilitating burn scars from forming.”

Hypertrophic scars are characterized by deposits of excessive amounts of collagen, which gives rise to a raised scar. They generally develop after thermal or traumatic injury that involves the deeper layers of the dermis and express high levels of TGF-β. Hypertrophic scars are red and thick and may be itchy or painful. While they do not extend beyond the boundary of the original wound, they can continue to thicken for up to six months, and often contain nerves and blood vessels.

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Tel Aviv University
Harvard University