Fighting Brain Cancer with Electricity

About the Presentation

Irreversible electroporation (IRE) is a non-thermal, focal ablation technique that has shown tremendous promise for the treatment of cancer. The procedure involves applying a series of electric pulses through minimally-invasive electrodes inserted into the target tumor. The pulses produce irreversible structural changes in the cell membranes, generating a predictable range of cell death with sub-millimeter resolution. Because the mechanism of cell death is linked to altered membrane permeability and not thermal processes, IRE spares important extracellular matrix components, such as major blood vessel and nerve architecture. This enables the treatment of surgically inoperable tumors encased in these critical structures. Currently, over 6000 patients with kidney, liver, lung, prostate, and pancreatic cancer have been treated with IRE throughout the world. We are currently developing IRE for the treatment of brain tumors, including glioblastoma.