Electrically stimulating key cells in the immune system could "reprogram" them to reduce inflammation and encourage faster and more effective healing in the body.

This is the discovery of scientists from Trinity College Dublin in Ireland who say their findings could lead to a powerful therapeutic option to help "boost the body's own repair processes in a huge range of different injury and disease situations."

The targeted cells are called 'macrophages,' a type of white blood cell that plays several important roles in our immune system, including patrolling around the body and surveying for bugs and viruses.

They also dispose of dead and damaged cells and stimulate other immune cells—"kicking them into gear" when needed, the researchers explain.

However, their actions can also drive loc

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