Ex vivo platelet activation with extended duration pulse electric fields for autologous platelet gel applications A new, potential clinical standard for platelet activation and perspectives for a more widespread adoption and improved wound healing with platelet gels

Background: Abstract: Activated platelet-rich plasma (PRP), also known as “platelet gel,” has emerged in clinical use as the preferred delivery vehicle for physiological combinations of autologous growth factors in wound-healing applications. Although a review of the literature shows encouraging results for wound healing using autologous platelet gels, a more widespread adoption of this approach has been prevented for the following reasons: a) lack of clinical standard for activation, b) challenges with current activation methods, and c) incomplete reporting of PRP preparation, PRP composition, and growth factor levels post activation and how these relate to clinical outcomes. We introduce here a novel instrument-based method for ex vivo platelet activation that eliminates the various challenges posed by the current platelet activator bovine thrombin (high cost, complex workflow, possible side effects) and has the potential for standardisation in clinical practice. We also demonstrate growth factor release using our instrument-based method and evaluate the potency of these growth factor mixes in simple models of angiogenesis and epithelialisation.