CONICET | Buscador de Institutos y Recursos Humanos

The electrochemical treatment of tumours (EChT) consists in the passage of a direct electric current through two or more electrodes inserted locally in the tumour tissue. In the classical application of EChT, electrochemical reactions induce extreme pH changes and, consequently, protein electrodenaturation fronts intimately related to tumour destruction. Specifically, from an initial uniform condition two electrodenaturation fronts evolve expanding towards each other, leaving the possible existence of a biological pH region between them. Here we introduce a new application of electrochemical treatment of tumours, the electrodenaturation treatment of tumours (EDT) consisting in the use of EChT with a one-probe two-electrodes device (OPTED) containing the cathode and the anode very close to each other. Upon application of the OPTED, two electrodenaturation half spherical fronts, one basic the other acid, expand from the electrodes towards the periphery. Electrodenaturation front tracking reveals a time scaling close to t1/2, signature of a diffusion-controlled process. Based on this evidence it is possible, in principle, to predict the necessary time needed for total tumor destruction without compromising healthy tissue. The main advantages of the OPTED are the insertion of one electrode rather than two or more thus minimizing tissue intrusion, the passage of uncontrolled current is constrained to a very small region between electrodes, high acidity/alcalinity regions are localized in one tiny zone around electrodes and the possible existence of a biological pH region between electrodes is suppressed. These results could have significant implications in EChT optimal operative conditions and dose planning, in particular, in the way in which the evolving electrodenaturation spherical fronts cover the active cancer cells spherical casket. Moreover, they may have potential advantages in the application of electrochimiotherapy (ECT).

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