Genetic analysis of protein kinase C signaling in ion flow-directed cell movement

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Surface properties of a material can greatly affect the behaviour of contacting cells, an important factor when designing therapeutic implants. In addition to physicochemical properties, recent studies suggest that surface electrical properties directly affect biological responses at the cell-material interface. Beyond their wellknown physiological functions, ion transport proteins in the cell membrane generate small electric fields. Endogenous as well as exogenous electric fields are known to significantly influence various biological processes, such as wound healing, tumor metastasis, immune responses and tissue formation/regeneration. All these events have a common essential component: directional cell motility. Electric fields can trigger a variety of cellular signalling cascades via ion fluxes. In certain conditions such as wound healing, electric fields appear to be the most powerful directional cue guiding cell migration, overriding other cues including chemotaxis. How cells sense the direction of an EF remains unclear. In order to aid the development of both basic research and therapy-based bioengineering approaches, it is thus essential to understand the mechanisms through which endogenous and exogenous electric fields impact biological systems.