Can we regrow your organs or limbs?
...Enter the promising realm of bioelectricity. Levin describes it as the "cognitive glue" that binds cellular collectives to a common purpose. It's about the electrical networks within cells, the very same networks that operate in our brains. "It's the ability to form electrical networks and to process information in those networks," Levin explains. By understanding and manipulating these bioelectric patterns, we can potentially rewrite them for various purposes, much like adjusting a thermostat without needing to rewire the entire system.
Levin's vision is a paradigm shift, moving beyond the genetic code to the electric code. In his words, "What you need to understand is how it encodes the setting and then ask: How do I go about changing it?"
This approach could revolutionize regenerative medicine, allowing us to harness the body's innate abilities in ways we've only just begun to imagine.
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Levin’s approach extends beyond mere speculation. In his lab, he's working on creating a conducive environment for regeneration. This involves the use of what he calls “wearable bioreactors,” or “biodomes.”
These devices are designed to create an almost amniotic-like environment around a wound, signaling to the cells that conditions are favorable for regeneration rather than scarring. The aim is to concoct the right mixture of ion channel and other drugs within these biodomes to set the stage for regeneration.
By reimagining the cellular environment, Levin and his team are paving the way for innovations that could one day make the regeneration of healthy organs a reality.
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“All of the biomedicine today is very focused on the molecular hardware, so genome editing, CRISPR pathway rewiring, protein engineering, single molecule, single cell approaches … We need to move beyond the focus of molecular hardware and really take advantage of the software of life.”
There are millions of people who suffer from birth defects, lost limbs, traumatic injuries, degenerative diseases, and other illnesses. And for Levin, much of this suffering is ultimately preventable. “This technology is a vital path for humanity forward. That’s what I want people to focus on.”
