The Electrode Modality Development in Pulsed Electric Field Treatment Facilitates Biocellular Mechanism Study and Improves Cancer Ablation Efficacy

Abstract

Pulsed electric field treatment is now widely used in diverse biological and medical applications: gene delivery, electrochemotherapy, and cancer therapy. This minimally invasive technique has several advantages over traditional ablation techniques, such as nonthermal elimination and blood vessel spare effect. Different electrodes are subsequently developed for a specific treatment purpose. Here, we provide a systematic review of electrode modality development in pulsed electric field treatment. For electrodes invented for experiment in vitro, sheet electrode and electrode cuvette, electrodes with high-speed fluorescence imaging system, electrodes with patch-clamp, and electrodes with confocal laser scanning microscopy are introduced. For electrodes invented for experiment in vivo, monopolar electrodes, five-needle array electrodes, single-needle bipolar electrode, parallel plate electrodes, and suction electrode are introduced. The pulsed electric field provides a promising treatment for cancer.

Electrochemotherapy Effectiveness Loss due to Electric Field Indentation between Needle Electrodes: A Numerical Study

“…When an extra needle was inserted into the center of the type III electrode ( Figure 4 ), the electric field had a different distribution. Such an arrangement has been used for ECT in some cases [ 4 , 23 , 24 ], and it is also considered a good option for commuted systems (at least two different polarization steps for the needles) [ 24 ]. For a single polarization scenario, Figure 4 shows that the electroporated area is less irreversible in healthy tissue, but a large one around the center needle is observed (only one with the opposite polarization from the others).…”

“…This biophysical phenomenon of decreasing cell membrane selectivity through electric field imposition is called electropermeabilization. The most accepted theory to explain such permeabilization considers that pores are induced around the cell membrane [ 4 ]. This process is called electroporation and considers that the membrane permeabilization can be reversible or irreversible depending on the membrane's capability of resealing the pores after the removal of the electric field [ 2 , 5 ].…”

Simulation of Gold Nanoparticle Transport during MHD Electroosmotic Flow in a Peristaltic Micro-Channel for Biomedical Treatment

“…Ryan et al [ 27 ] provided an experimental study on electric field simulation for tissue engineering applications. Cen and Chen [ 28 ] presented electric field applications found in pulsed electric field treatments in vitro and in vivo. There are other applications that have been shown in transcranial magnetic stimulation and nerve electrophysiology with respect to electric and magnetic fields [ 29 ].…”