Electric field modulation in tissue electroporation with electrolytic and non-electrolytic additives

Electroporation, cell membrane permeabilization with short electrical field pulses, is used in tissue for in vivo gene therapy, drug therapy and minimally invasive tissue ablation. For the electroporation to be successful, the electrical field that develops during the application of the pulses needs to be precisely controlled. In this study we investigate the use of electrolytic and non-electrolytic gels to generate the precise electrical fields required for controlled electroporation, in heterogeneous and irregular tissues, in vivo. Finite element computer simulations are used to illustrate various applications, such as the treatment of irregularly shaped organs and interior cavities. The feasibility of the concept is demonstrated experimentally in vivo with a rat liver subjected to irreversible electroporation.