An endoscopic system for gene & drug delivery directly to intraluminal tissue

Abstract

Electrochemotherapy has been established in preclinical and clinical studies as an effective therapy; however, the currently available technology for delivery of this treatment is limited to surface tumours and is reliant on macroelectrodes such as callipers and needles. Internal cancers are not currently amenable to electrochemotherapy. If it were possible to deliver permeabilising electric pulses to intraluminal gastrointestinal or urinary tract tumours endoscopically, or to intra-abdominal tumours via the laparoscopic approach, many cancers which are now deemed inoperable or which are unresponsive to conventional therapies would become accessible to electrochemotherapy. Tumour reduction or regression would be a feasible aim, facilitating the achievement of palliation of symptoms, improved quality of life, prolonged survival and ultimately cure.