Cracking The Bioelectric Code: Taming the Voltage-Based Language Of Cells to Re-grow Whole Organs and Normalize Cancer

Many species of complex animals are able to regenerate entire organs. Our lab studies show that electric gradients control cell proliferation, migration, and differentiation, while bioelectrical signals serve as master regulators of tissue patterning. Molecular-level changes in bioelectric state can initiate complete development of eyes, brains, hearts, limbs, and spinal cords, as well as normalize neoplastic growth. Genetics and bioelectricity thus constitute parallel but interacting layers of biological control, a discovery with sweeping implications for cancer management, regenerative medicine, synthetic biology and bioengineering.