The application of sufficiently intense and relatively short pulsed electric fields to mammalian cells, is capable of inducing a significant increase of plasma membrane permeability to ions and macromolecules normally not permeant (electroporation). In particular, pulsed electric fields (PEFs) of field amplitude up to kV/m and duration in the millisecond (ms) to microsecond (µs) time scale are commonly employed to potentiate the efficacy of chemiotherapeutic drugs in the clinical treatment of superficial solid cancers (electrochemotherapy) or to promote the process of microbic deactivation in food and water treatments. More recently, taking advantages from the development of new technologies in the framework of pulsed power systems, PEFs of higher electric field amplitude (MV/m) and shorter durations (nanoseconds) have been developed. Such pulses (nsPEF) have been demonstrated to target not only the plasma membrane but also to interact with intracellular structures, and induce several cell death pathways in cancer cells. These observations raised great interest from several research groups at international level, and the study of interactions between such electric pulses and the biological structures could lead to the definition of a new technology for cancer treatment, that is non thermal and drug free.
In this context, IREA researchers are involved in characterizing the nsPEF effects in mammalian cell cultures with double aim to give insight into interaction mechanisms, still unclear, and to explore the potential applications. Moreover, in collaboration with the Department of Information Engineering of the Second University of Naples, innovative devices for pulse generation and delivery in cellular samples are designed and realized.
