Year: 2023
Type: editorial
Abstract: Pulsed electric field based technologies for oncology applicationsThough various pulsed electric field (PEF)-based technologies can be used to treat cancer, there are two distinct sources of therapeutic effects: direct biological actions by PEFs or the cytotoxicity of drugs/production of genes delivered by PEFs.For PEF technologies, such as electrochemotherapy (ECT), gene electrotransfer (GET), and calcium electroporation, the efficiency of tumor ablation depends on the efficiency of the PEFassisted delivery of chemotherapeutics (bleomycin or cisplatin), therapeutic genes, and calcium into the tumor.On the other hand, for PEF technologies, such as tumor-treating fields (TTFs), irreversible electroporation (IRE), and nanosecond pulsed electric fields or nanopulse stimulation (NPS), the efficiency of tumor ablation depends on the properties of the PEF itself.There may be an argument regarding the moderate or partial contribution of the direct PEF effect in ECT, GET, and calcium electroporation; however, there is no question about the tumor regression by TTFs, IRE, and NPS resulting solely from the PEF effect.In both scenarios, the properties of the PEF are essential to determine the biological effects either directly via PEF-induced cytotoxicity or via the delivery of therapeutic drugs/ genes into tumor tissues.In this special edition, Novickij et al. discussed the significance of the shape of electric pulses for membrane permeabilization and its potential applications.Advances in pulsed power technology can provide a wide range of PEFs with pulse durations ranging from picoseconds to milliseconds, electric field strengths up to several hundred KV/cm, frequencies up to GHz, and varied waveforms.Focusing on the commonly used square waveforms, the authors described the physical features, biological effects, potential mechanisms, advantages, and engineering challenges of several square waveforms including the unipolar square wave, bipolar square wave, CANCAN (cancellation of bipolar cancellation), and asymmetric pulses.Besides the pulse waveform determining the pulse duration and electric field amplitude, the authors also discussed the effects of frequency or the pulse repetition rate, which are more influential in terms of shorter pulses (<100 µs).In general, cell membrane permeabilization is the foundation of current Frontiers in Oncology frontiersin.
Source: Frontiers in Oncology
Authors: Siqi Guo, Gregor Sersa, Richard Heller
Language: English
Subfield: Biotechnology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,295
OpenAlex ID: W4353085771