Electroporation therapy: a new approach for the treatment of head and neck cancer

• Published in: IEEE transactions on biomedical engineering Vol. 46; no. 6; pp. 752 - 759
• Main Authors: Hofmann, G.A., Dev, S.B., Dimmer, S., Nanda, G.S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY IEEE 01.06.1999; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Animals; Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic - administration & dosage; Biological and medical sciences; Biomembranes; Biopsy; Bleomycin - administration & dosage; Cancer; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - drug therapy; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - pathology; Cell membranes; Cells; Cells (biology); Chemotherapy; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; Drugs; Electric field effects; Electroporation - instrumentation; Electroporation - methods; Female; Head and Neck Neoplasms - drug therapy; Head and Neck Neoplasms - pathology; Humans; In vitro; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Mechanical permeability; Medical sciences; Medical treatment; Mice; Middle Aged; Neck; Neoplasms; Otorhinolaryngology (head neck, general aspects and miscellaneous); Otorhinolaryngology. Stomatology; Permeability; Remission Induction; Treatment Outcome; Tumors; Human; Delivery system; Cell permeability; Rodentia; Electroporation; Review; Malignant tumor; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Bleomycin; Electric field; Treatment; Mouse; Efficiency; Animal; Head and neck; ENT disease; Mechanism of action
• DOI: 10.1109/10.764952
• ISSN: 0018-9294

Electroporation can deliver exogenous molecules like drugs and genes into cells by pulsed electric fields through a temporary increase in cell membrane permeability. This effect is being used for the treatment of cancer by intratumoral injection of low dosage of an otherwise marginally effective chemotherapeutic drug, bleomycin. Application of a pulsed electric field results in substantially higher uptake of the drug and enhanced killing of the cancer cells than is possible by conventional methods. The MedPulser(R), a new treatment system for local electroporation therapy (EPT) of head and neck tumors was developed and is described in this paper. EPT with bleomycin has been found to be very effective in killing cancer cells in vitro, in mouse tumor xenografts in vivo, and in tumors in humans. Ten head and neck cancer patients with recurring or unresponsive tumors were enrolled in a Phase I/II clinical trial. Treatment of the entire turner mass in each of eight patients resulted in five complete responses confirmed by biopsy and MRI, and three partial responses (/spl ges/50% shrinkage). Two additional patients who received partial treatment of their tumor mass had local response where treated, but no overall lesion remission. Duration of the complete responses ranges from 2-10 months to date. All patients tolerated the treatment well with no significant local or systemic adverse effects.