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© 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.

Abstract

Simple Summary

Locoregional therapies play an ever-increasing role in contemporary oncology. This review provides an up-to-date, informed analysis of locoregional therapies harnessing electric pulses. Irreversible electroporation (IRE), gene electrotransfer (GET), electrochemotherapy (ECT), calcium electroporation (Ca-EP), and tumour-treating fields (TTF) are integral to the therapeutic strategy in several solid tumours, ranging from skin cancers to visceral and bone metastases. Still, despite consolidated credibility and a favourable trade-off between efficacy and side effects, these therapies face fragmentation, as shown by differences in the stage of development and regulatory approval worldwide. Here, leading experts convened at the 4th World Congress of Electroporation (Copenhagen, 9–13 October 2022) provide a coherent, updated snapshot of this field. Hopefully, these techniques’ common scientific and technological ground will allow researchers to overcome knowledge barriers and develop synergistic strategies to improve patient outcomes.

Abstract

The 4th World Congress of Electroporation (Copenhagen, 9–13 October 2022) provided a unique opportunity to convene leading experts in pulsed electric fields (PEF). PEF-based therapies harness electric fields to produce therapeutically useful effects on cancers and represent a valuable option for a variety of patients. As such, irreversible electroporation (IRE), gene electrotransfer (GET), electrochemotherapy (ECT), calcium electroporation (Ca-EP), and tumour-treating fields (TTF) are on the rise. Still, their full therapeutic potential remains underappreciated, and the field faces fragmentation, as shown by parallel maturation and differences in the stages of development and regulatory approval worldwide. This narrative review provides a glimpse of PEF-based techniques, including key mechanisms, clinical indications, and advances in therapy; finally, it offers insights into current research directions. By highlighting a common ground, the authors aim to break silos, strengthen cross-functional collaboration, and pave the way to novel possibilities for intervention. Intriguingly, beyond their peculiar mechanism of action, PEF-based therapies share technical interconnections and multifaceted biological effects (e.g., vascular, immunological) worth exploiting in combinatorial strategies.

Details

Title
Pulsed Electric Fields in Oncology: A Snapshot of Current Clinical Practices and Research Directions from the 4th World Congress of Electroporation
Author
Campana, Luca G 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Daud, Adil 2 ; Lancellotti, Francesco 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Arroyo, Julio P 3   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Davalos, Rafael V 4   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Claudia Di Prata 5 ; Gehl, Julie 6   VIAFID ORCID Logo 

 Department of Surgery, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford Rd., Manchester M13 9WL, UK; [email protected] 
 Department of Medicine, University of California, 550 16 Street, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; [email protected] 
 Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA; [email protected] (J.P.A.); [email protected] (R.V.D.) 
 Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA; [email protected] (J.P.A.); [email protected] (R.V.D.); Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA 
 Department of Surgery, San Martino Hospital, 32100 Belluno, Italy; [email protected] 
 Department of Clinical Oncology and Palliative Care, Zealand University Hospital, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark; [email protected]; Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 1165 Copenhagen, Denmark 
First page
3340
Publication year
2023
Publication date
2023
Publisher
MDPI AG
e-ISSN
20726694
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2836340159
Copyright
© 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.