Advanced Acupuncture Therapies for Wound Healing and Epithelial Regeneration

Abstract

Acupuncture strives to restore the body’s homeostasis by regulating the flow of Qi (vital energy) and blood throughout the body, activating specific acupoints to promote health and alleviate illnesses. Currently, it faces the challenge of standardisation and objectivity. Hence, we have conducted a series of studies to unravel the action mechanism governing acupuncture and ultimately develop novel therapeutics and biomedical engineering devices. In particular, the present study reports a multifaceted investigation into advanced acupuncture techniques and their therapeutic mechanisms by focusing on enhancing wound healing and tissue regeneration.

We have made 4 major contributions based on our results, which include: i) Elucidation of Electroacupuncture's Mechanism of Healing: Our results establish that transcutaneous electrical acustimulation (TEA) promotes tissue repair by enhancing mitochondrial dynamics and inducing expression of critical bio-healing factors. Furthermore, TEA modulates key signaling molecules (VEGF-A, TGF-β, Wnt3a) and nitric oxide of wound sites; ii) Quantification of Angiopuncture’s Healing Effects: In vivo validation using thermal imaging confirmed a significant elevation in local surface temperature at the needling site. An animal dermatitis study demonstrated angiopuncture’s mechanism in modulating mitochondrial dynamics. Two clinical trials identified angiopuncture’s efficacy in patients with postoperative pain and primary dysmenorrhea; iii) Innovation of Pharmaco-Angiopuncture Synergy: We deeply analyzed the potent antioxidant and mitochondrial regulatory capacity of astragalus polysaccharides (APS). We demonstrated that combining electroangiopuncture with APS delivery synergistically reduces oxidative stress of dermatitis; iv) Development of Wearable Application: Inspired by the "galvanic principle" of fruit batteries, we developed a novel self-powered, wearable hydrogel-zinc electrode patch (featuring a PU-Zn-PVA/CA-PVA/PANI multilayer pyramidal configuration). This device enables precise treatment at perforator sites and utilises focused electrical stimulation, effectively preventing flap dermatitis.

Collectively, these integrated advances quantify fundamental mechanisms, develop novel therapeutic approaches, establish synergistic treatment strategies, and facilitate smart wearable technology, significantly contributing to the modernisation of advanced acupuncture-based treatments for improved tissue repair.

Date of Award	19 Dec 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	City University of Hong Kong
Supervisor	Bee Luan KHOO (Supervisor), Jinlian HU (Supervisor) & Jianbo YUE (Co-supervisor)