Ion transnort studies in the electrochemical treatment of tumours: experiments and simulations

F MAGLIETTI; P TURJANSKI; N OLAIZ; S MICHINSKI; C SUÁREZ; F MOLINA; G MARSHALL

Gordon Research Conferences. University of New England Biddeford, ME

Conferencia; The Complex Membrane in the Electric Field; 2010

Electrochernotherapy (ECT) is a local antiturnoral treatment that combines cell-membrane-permeabilizing electric pulses with non-permeant or poor1y-permeant anticancer drugs (Mir L, Eur J Cancer Supplements, 11(4): 38-44, 2006). EChT is another type of electrochemical treatment that applies constant direct electric currents giving rise to opposing pH fronts emerging from both electrodes until collision somewhere between them. It has been suggested that these pH changes can be used to predict the extent of the tumor necrotic area. While in EChT tumor necrosis is the main goal of the treatment, in ECT necrosis is a collateral effect to be minimized. In the present work, we quantify and predict for the first time the phenomena of pH front generation in ECT. Our results suggest that they can be used for minimizing tissue damage during ECT treatment. The goal of this work is to analize the extent of pH in the ECT treatment and to develop a theoretical 10 model predicting the extent of tissue damage.