Bioelectronics is broadly focused on the convergence of biology and electronics. The most popular example of bioelectronics is the pacemaker and medical imaging technologies but the modern industry has shifted towards a substantially different focus. For example, GlaxoSmithKline plc (NYSE: GSK) teamed up with Alphabet Inc.’s (NASDAQ: GOOGL) Verily Life Science LLC to develop implants to control inflammatory, metabolic, and endocrine disorders.
“Many of the processes of the human body are controlled by electrical signals firing between the nervous system and the body’s organs, which may become distorted in many chronic diseases,” said GSK’s Moncef Slaoui when announcing the partnership. “Bioelectronic medicine’s vision is to employ the latest advances in biology and technology to interpret this electrical conversation and to correct the irregular patterns found in disease states.”
There are two ways that companies have approached the idea of modifying these electrical conversations in the body – non-invasive and invasive.
The first approach uses pulsed electrical magnetic fields – or PEMF – applied to the skin in order to elicit a cellular response depending on their amplitude, frequency, and waveform. Since the late-1970s, the FDA has approved these devices to treat everything from non-union fractures to Major Depressive Disorder. The most obvious advantage of this approach is not involving surgery but its effectiveness tends to vary widely by technology.
The second approach uses small electronic implants often applied directly to the vagus nerve to control outcomes. This approach requires careful surgery to accomplish while entailing greater risk. The first of these devices were approved in 1997 for the treatment of seizures, but the success of the device was mixed and the industry continues to push for greater efficacy.
Endonovo’s Unique Focus
Endonovo Therapeutics Inc. (OTC: ENDV) has taken the non-invasive approach, but uses a different technique than most PEMF companies. Its focus is on time-vary electromagnetic fields – or TVEMF – that produce intense square waveform magnetic pulses that are just 0.0001 seconds wide in order to achieve deep tissue penetration and elicit a more potent cellular response. While sine waves take a long time to reach peak intensity, square waves do so much faster without having to increase the frequency. This enables Endonovo to bring down the frequency of its TVEMF and avoid potential tissue damage resulting from the heating of tissue.
The company is leveraging its TVEMF approach in two critical areas. Its Immunotronics™ program is designed to promote an anti-inflammatory response and promote tissue repair in patients in danger of and/or experiencing the failure of vital organs due to a severe immune response to infections or injuries. Since these patients often cannot be operated on, the non-invasive nature of the procedure provides a significant potential benefit and eliminates the potential competition from the surgical side of the industry.
Its Cytotronics™ platform uses a similar approach for creating more potent cell therapies and biologics. TVEMFs can be used to expand stem cells in the lab and increase the expression of dozens of genes related to cell growth, tumor suppression, cell adhesion, and extracellular matrix production. By taking a physics approach to biology, the company aims to create bioelectronically-expanded stem cells with enhanced biological and therapeutic properties.
Endonovo's technology already has shown tremendous promise in pre-clinical trials ranging from the reduction of acute inflammation to regenerating bone in animals. The company is now targeting inflammation in vital organs and augmenting the regeneration of organs like the liver in the hope that one day transplants may be a thing of the past. In the process, the company could compete with companies like GSK and Alphabet targeting the surgical implant approach.
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