Bioelectric Breakthroughs Beckon?

About a month ago, and with a far less alliterative title, About Physics reported on how natural electric fields may aid healing. A recent IEEE Spectrum article expands on the concept of "bioelectrics," by discussing how short duration exposures to high voltages can cure tumors in mice without damaging the healthy tissue.

While many therapies work on mice but don't adapt well to humans, the application of electricity as a medical healing tool seems to be growing, in theory if not yet in practice. The hope is that such research will allow the electrical fields to act as intense electric probes inside the body, targeting specific areas without damaging the surrounding area. It remains to be seen if such hopes will really live up to expectations.

Find out more about biophysics, the growing field that applies physics to biological systems, on About Physics.

IEEE Spectrum is the flagship publication of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE - pronounced "Eye-triple-E"), the "world's leading professional association for the advancement of technology."