Irreversible Electroporation Systems for Clinical Use

Abstract

Electroporation is a technique that uses micro to milliseconds electric pulses to create pores in the cell membrane, thus allowing molecules that, due to their physical and/or chemical properties, would normally not be able to cross the cell membrane, to enter the cell (1-5). Electroporation finds applications in many fields in particular for gene insertion in cells (electrogenetherapy) (6,7) and for the treatment of cancer (electrochemotherapy). In electrochemotherapy, the combination of chemotherapy and electroporation of tumour cells, the effects of drugs that usually show little cytotoxicity are greatly increased (8). The opening of pores in the cell membrane allows the chemotherapeutic agent to enter the cell at greater, more effective concentration and exert its cytotoxic action by killing the target cell (9-11).