Rapid dramatic alterations to the tumor microstructure in pancreatic cancer following irreversible electroporation ablation

• Published in: Nanomedicine (London, England) Vol. 9; no. 8; pp. 1181 - 1192
• Main Authors: Zhang, Zhuoli, Li, Weiguo, Procissi, Daniel, Tyler, Patrick, Omary, Reed A, Larson, Andrew C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Future Medicine Ltd 01.06.2014; Future Medicine
• Subjects: Ablation Techniques - methods; Animals; apoptosis; Biological and medical sciences; Cell Line, Tumor; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Electroporation - methods; Exact sciences and technology; Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen; Humans; irreversible electroporation; Liver. Biliary tract. Portal circulation. Exocrine pancreas; Male; Materials science; Medical sciences; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; MRI biomarker; Multiple tumors. Solid tumors. Tumors in childhood (general aspects); NanoKnife; Nanoscale materials and structures: fabrication and characterization; Pancreas - pathology; Pancreas - surgery; Pancreatic cancer; Pancreatic Neoplasms - pathology; Pancreatic Neoplasms - surgery; Physics; therapy response; Tumors; Immunohistochemistry; MRI biomarker; Processing; pancreatic cancer; Surgery; Pancreas cancer; Diffusion coefficient; Biological markers; Irreversible electroporation; Nanomedicine; Pancreatic disease; Cell killing; Treatment efficiency; NanoKnife; NMR imaging; Instrumentation therapy; Ablation; Anatomic pathology; Animals; therapy response; Medical imagery; Digestive diseases; Mice; Microstructure; Cancer; Apoptosis; apoptosis; irreversible electroporation
• ISSN: 1743-5889; 1748-6963
• DOI: 10.2217/nnm.13.72

NanoKnife (Angiodynamics, Inc., NY, USA) or irreversible electroporation (IRE) is a newly available ablation technique to induce the formation of nanoscale pores within the cell membrane in targeted tissues. The purpose of this study was to elucidate morphological alterations following 30 min of IRE ablation in a mouse model of pancreatic cancer. Immunohistochemistry markers were compared with diffusion-weighted MRI apparent diffusion coefficient measurements before and after IRE ablation. Immunohistochemistry apoptosis index measurements were significantly higher in IRE-treated tumors than in controls. Rapid tissue alterations after 30 min of IRE ablation procedures (structural and morphological alterations along with significantly elevated apoptosis markers) were consistently observed and well correlated to apparent diffusion coefficient measurements. This imaging assay offers the potential to serve as an biomarker for noninvasive detection of tumor response following IRE ablation. Original submitted 2 October 2012; Revised submitted 12 March 2013