title: Cell electrofusion: past and future perspectives for antibody production and cancer cell vaccines.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In the past few decades, new methods for drug and gene delivery have been developed, among which electroporation and electrofusion have gained noticeable attention. Lately, advances in the field of immunotherapy have enabled new cancer therapies based on immune response, including monoclonal antibodies and cell vaccines. Efficient cell fusion is needed for both hybridoma production and cell vaccine preparation, and electrofusion is a promising method to achieve this goal.
  
  
  METHODS
  In the present review, we cover new strategies of cancer treatment related to antibody production and cell vaccines. In more detail, cell electroporation and electrofusion are addressed. We briefly describe principles of cell electroporation and focus on electrofusion and its influential factors, with special attention on the fusogenic state of the cell membrane, contact formation, the effect of electrofusion media and cell viability. We end the review with an overview of the very promising field of microfluidic devices for electrofusion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our opinion, electrofusion can be a very efficient method for hybridoma and cell vaccine production. Advances in the development of microfluidic devices and a better understanding of the underlying (biological) mechanisms will overcome the current limitations.
authors.affiliation: Univesrity of Ljubljana, Faculty of Electrical Engineering , Trzaska 25, SI-1000, Ljubljana , Slovenia +38614768767 ; +38614264658 ; masa.kanduser@fe.uni-lj.si.
authors.forename: Maša
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kandušer
authors.forename: Marko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ušaj
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D019496:Cancer Vaccines / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D002459:Cell Fusion / Q000379:methods; D002470:Cell Survival; D018274:Electroporation / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D006825:Hybridomas / Q000378:metabolism; D046210:Microfluidic Analytical Techniques
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D019496:Cancer Vaccines
keywords: cell contact; cell cytoskeleton; cell vaccines; electrofusion; electrofusion buffer; electroporation; monoclonal antibody production