ELECTROACUPUNCTURE AND ENDOGENOUS STEM/PROGENITOR CELL MOBILIZATION: A SCOPING REVIEW OF MECHANISMS AND REGENERATIVE MEDICINE IMPLICATIONS

Vollständiger Abstract

Worum geht es in dieser Arbeit?

The Electroacupuncture (EA) is a nonpharmacological neuromodulatory intervention increasingly investigated for its systemic effects, including potential mobilization of endogenous stem and progenitor cells. This scoping review, conducted according to PRISMA‑ScR, mapped in vivo animal and human studies reporting EA‑induced systemic mobilization and regenerative outcomes across five major databases. Ten studies (nine preclinical, one clinical) showed EA‑associated mobilization of mesenchymal stem cells, endothelial progenitor cells, bone marrow‑derived interstitial cells of Cajal, and progenitors, with mechanistic convergence on SDF‑1/CXCR4 and SCF/c‑Kit signaling integrated with sympathetic neuroautonomic activation and context‑dependent tissue repair benefits. However, protocol heterogeneity, limited phenotypic standardization, small samples, and scarce causal and clinical designs indicate an emerging field rather than a consolidated therapeutic strategy, suggesting EA is more plausibly positioned as a low‑cost adjuvant to enhance homing and engraftment of transplanted or endogenous cells than as a stand‑alone systemic mobilizer in regenerative medicine.