Non-invasive electrical stimulation restores corneal nerve density and sensory function in diabetic neuropathy via KCNN-dependent mechanism

Under disease conditions when corneal nerves are damaged, such as diabetes, corneal injury, or eye surgury, patients suffer from dry eye, pain, delayed wound healing, or urceration. Current treatments are limited, underscoring the need for a regenerative therapy.

Here we show that a non-invasive neural modulation therapy, transcutaneous electrical stimulation (ES), significantly restore the nerve density and sensory function in both streptozotocin-induced diabetes mice and keratectomy model. This transcriptomics analysis of TGs from in vivo ES in keratectomy models aims to find mechanistic insights into the ES-induced corneal reinnervation. The results point to ion transport and Ca2+ signaling alteration, alongside activation of neural regeneration pathways.