Premium
Optimized nanosecond pulsed electric field therapy can cause murine malignant melanomas to self‐destruct with a single treatment
Author(s) -
Nuccitelli Richard,
Tran Kevin,
Sheikh Saleh,
Athos Brian,
Kreis Mark,
Nuccitelli Pamela
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
international journal of cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.475
H-Index - 234
eISSN - 1097-0215
pISSN - 0020-7136
DOI - 10.1002/ijc.25364
Subject(s) - nanosecond , pulse (music) , melanoma , electric field , pulse duration , materials science , electrode , biomedical engineering , chemistry , medicine , optics , cancer research , physics , laser , quantum mechanics , detector
We have identified a new, nanosecond pulsed electric field (nsPEF) therapy capable of eliminating murine melanomas located in the skin with a single treatment. When these optimized parameters are used, nsPEFs initiate apoptosis without hyperthermia. We have developed new suction electrodes that are compatible with human skin and have applied them to a xenograft nude mouse melanoma model system to identify the optimal field strength, pulse frequency and pulse number for the treatment of murine melanomas. A single treatment using the optimal pulse parameters (2,000 pulses, 100 ns in duration, 30 kV/cm in amplitude at a pulse frequency of 5–7 pulses/sec) eliminated all 17 melanomas treated with those parameters in 4 mice. This was the highest pulse frequency that we could use without raising the treated skin tumor temperature above 40°C. We also demonstrate that the effects of nsPEF therapy are highly localized to only cells located between electrodes and results in very little scarring of the nsPEF‐treated skin.