title: Clinical potential of electroporation for gene therapy and DNA vaccine delivery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Electroporation allows efficient delivery of DNA into cells and tissues, thereby improving the expression of therapeutic or immunogenic proteins that are encoded by plasmid DNA. This simple and versatile method holds a great potential and could address unmet medical needs such as the prevention or treatment of many cancers or infectious diseases.
  
  
  METHODS
  This review explores the electroporation mechanism and the parameters affecting its efficacy. An analysis of past and current clinical trials focused on DNA electroporation is presented. The pathologies addressed, the protocol used, the treatment outcome and the tolerability are highlighted. In addition, several of the possible optimization strategies for improving patient compliance and therapeutic efficacy are discussed such as plasmid design, use of genetic adjuvants for DNA vaccines, choice of appropriate delivery site and electrodes as well as pulse parameters.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The growing number of clinical trials and the results already available underline the strong potential of DNA electroporation which combines both safety and efficiency. Nevertheless, it remains critical to further increase fundamental knowledge to refine future strategies, to develop concerted and common DNA electroporation protocols and to continue exploring new electroporation-based therapeutic options.
authors.affiliation: a Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain Drug Research Institute , Advanced Drug Delivery and Biomaterials , Brussels , Belgium.
authors.forename: Laure
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lambricht
authors.affiliation: a Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain Drug Research Institute , Advanced Drug Delivery and Biomaterials , Brussels , Belgium.
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lopes
authors.affiliation: b Institute of Oncology Ljubljana , Department of Experimental Oncology , Ljubljana , Slovenia.
authors.forename: Spela
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kos
authors.affiliation: b Institute of Oncology Ljubljana , Department of Experimental Oncology , Ljubljana , Slovenia.
authors.forename: Gregor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sersa
authors.affiliation: a Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain Drug Research Institute , Advanced Drug Delivery and Biomaterials , Brussels , Belgium.
authors.forename: Véronique
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Préat
authors.affiliation: a Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain Drug Research Institute , Advanced Drug Delivery and Biomaterials , Brussels , Belgium.
authors.forename: Gaëlle
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vandermeulen
mesh_terms: D016503:Drug Delivery Systems / Q000379:methods*; D018274:Electroporation / Q000379:methods*; D015316:Genetic Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D010957:Plasmids / Q000008:administration & dosage; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D019444:Vaccines, DNA
keywords: Clinical trials; DNA vaccines; electroporation; gene delivery; gene electrotransfer; gene therapy; genetic adjuvants