Evaluation of the Electroporation Efficiency of a Grid Electrode for Electrochemotherapy: From Numerical Model to In Vitro Tests.
Electrochemotherapy (ECT) is a local anticancer treatment based on the combination of chemotherapy and short, tumor-permeabilizing, voltage pulses delivered using needle electrodes or plate electrodes. The application of ECT to large skin surface tumors is time consuming due to technical limitations of currently available voltage applicators. The availability of large pulse applicators with few and more spaced needle electrodes could be useful in the clinic, since they could allow managing large and spread tumors while limiting the duration and the invasiveness of the procedure. In this article, a grid electrode with 2-cm spaced needles has been studied by means of numerical models. The electroporation efficiency has been assessed on human osteosarcoma cell line MG63 cultured in monolayer. The computational results show the distribution of the electric field in a model of the treated tissue. These results are helpful to evaluate the effect of the needle distance on the electric field distribution. Furthermore, the in vitro tests showed that the grid electrode proposed is suitable to electropore, by a single application, a cell culture covering an area of 55 cm(2). In conclusion, our data might represent substantial improvement in ECT in order to achieve a more homogeneous and time-saving treatment, with benefits for patients with cancer.
Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
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Ongaro
Sarcoma and Melanoma Unit, Veneto Institute of Oncology (IOV-IRCCS), Padova, Italy.
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Campana
Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
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De Mattei
Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
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Dughiero
Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
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Forzan
Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
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Pellati
Sarcoma and Melanoma Unit, Veneto Institute of Oncology (IOV-IRCCS), Padova, Italy.
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Rossi
Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Padova, Padova, Italy elisabetta.sieni@unipd.it.
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Sieni
D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D053672:Electrochemotherapy / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004566:Electrodes; D006801:Humans; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D011198:Solanum tuberosum
electric field; electrochemotherapy; electrode; finite element analysis; propidium iodide