By Dr. Nevena Zubcevik
Co-Founder & Chief Medical Officer, ElectroTherapeutics, Inc. (ETC)
As the Co-Founder & Chief Medical Officer of ETC, I’ve dedicated my career to pioneering the field of bioelectric medicine. My journey to this point has been shaped by years of clinical practice, research, and innovation, including my tenure as faculty and investigator at Harvard Medical School’s Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. There, I saw firsthand the transformative potential of neuromodulation therapies and their ability to change the trajectory of patient outcomes, particularly in cases where traditional pharmaceutical approaches had reached their limits.
At Harvard, I collaborated with leading scientists and clinicians, exploring advanced neuroimaging technologies to measure the burden of disease in the human brain. In one of our studies, we employed PET radiotracers such as [18F]AV-1451 (Flortaucipir) to visualize hyperphosphorylated tau (Reardon et al., 2019). By integrating this molecular imaging with MRI techniques like diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and resting-state functional MRI (fMRI), we identified critical patterns: regions of tau deposition often aligned with white matter damage and functional connectivity disruptions. These findings revealed not just structural damage, but fundamental alterations in the brain’s bioelectric communication networks.
PET imaging shows tau pathology distribution in traumatic brain injury, revealing disrupted neural networks and inflammation patterns.
Research suggests that neuroinflammation plays a significant role in driving these pathologies. McKee and colleagues (2019) note that neuroinflammatory responses contribute to the progression of tau pathology and neurodegeneration. Inflammation accelerates protein aggregation, impairs neuronal function, and perpetuates neurodegeneration (Zetterberg & Bendlin, 2021). This inflammatory cascade disrupts the delicate voltage gradients across cellular membranes, fundamentally altering how cells communicate and maintain homeostasis. These insights underscore a critical gap in medical science: the lack of tools to precisely regulate cellular function and intervene at the root of disease processes.
Bioelectric medicine addresses this gap. By decoding and returning the electrical language of cells to their optimal baseline, we can influence ion channels, modulate cellular voltage, and restore tissue health (Levin, 2021; McCaig et al., 2005). At ElectroTherapeutics, Inc.,
we are building a therapy discovery engine that integrates wet-lab experimentation on cells with advanced digital twin simulations and AI-driven models. This approach allows us to systematically identify and optimize bioelectric therapies for wound healing, brain health, and beyond, with precision that surpasses traditional drug discovery methods.
Visualization of cellular membrane voltage potentials in healthy versus diseased tissue, demonstrating the bioelectric disruptions that occur in pathological states.
Looking toward the future, we envision bioelectric therapies that could be personalized to an individual’s unique electrome signature. Imagine wearable devices that continuously monitor cellular voltage patterns and deliver precise bioelectric corrections in real-time, preventing disease before symptoms emerge. Our research suggests that by 2030, bioelectric medicine could offer treatments for conditions ranging from neurodegenerative diseases to metabolic disorders, all by restoring the body’s natural electrical balance. The implications extend beyond treatment to enhancement—optimizing cognitive function, accelerating healing, and potentially even slowing aspects of aging at the cellular level.
This is more than innovation—it’s the creation of a new paradigm in medicine. We have assembled a team of industry, research, and business leaders to propel bioelectric medicine into the future of healthcare. At ETC, we are driving this transformation with the expertise, data, and vision necessary to transform how we treat disease.
References:
Levin, M. (2021). Bioelectric signaling: Reprogrammable circuits underlying embryogenesis, regeneration, and cancer. Cell, 184(8), 1971-1989. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2021.02.034
McCaig, C. D., Rajnicek, A. M., Song, B., & Zhao, M. (2005). Controlling cell behavior electrically: Current views and future potential. Physiological Reviews, 85(3), 943-978. https://doi.org/10. 1152/physrev.00020.2004
Collins-Praino, L. E., & Corrigan, F. (2017). Does neuroinflammation drive the relationship between tau hyperphosphorylation and dementia development following traumatic brain injury? Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 60, 369-382. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2016.09.027
Wooten, D., Ortiz-Ter´an, L., Zubcevik, N., Zhang, X., Huang, C., Sepulcre, J., Atassi, N., Johnson,
K. A., Zafonte, R. D., & El Fakhri, G. (2019). Multi-modal signatures of tau pathology, neuronal fiber integrity, and functional connectivity in traumatic brain injury. Journal of Neurotrauma, 36(23), 3233-3251. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31210098/
Zetterberg, H., & Bendlin, B. B. (2021). Biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease—preparing for a new era of disease-modifying therapies. Molecular Psychiatry, 26(1), 296-308. https://doi.org/10. 1038/s41380-020-0721-9