A Multi-Donor Ex Vivo Platelet Activation and Growth Factor Release Study Using Electric Pulses With Durations Up to 100 Microseconds
January 2021
in “
IEEE Access
”
Studysummary In this study, researchers demonstrated that treating platelet rich plasma with microsecond pulsed electric fields effectively activates platelets and induces similar or higher growth factor release compared to traditional bovine thrombin, suggesting a potential clinical use that may be more cost-effective and practical.
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The study explored the use of pulsed electric fields (PEFs) with durations between 5 and 100 microseconds to activate platelets in platelet rich plasma (PRP) as an alternative to the traditional biochemical activator, bovine thrombin (BT). The research demonstrated that these microsecond PEFs could effectively induce platelet activation and release growth factors such as platelet derived, vascular endothelial, and epidermal growth factors, achieving similar or higher levels compared to BT. This method could potentially address the drawbacks of BT, including cost and immune response issues, and offer a more efficient and compact solution for clinical and trauma applications by reducing the need for expensive and bulky nanosecond pulse generators.
