Microdevice for analyzing the effect of electrochemotherapy on cancer cells

A microfabricated cell-based testing device for electrochemotherapy (ECT) has been developed; it mimics a clinical electroporator with a circular needle array and maintains a similar electric field strength distribution. Until now, the performance between electroporators having two- and six-needle circular array electrodes, which are the general needle-type clinical electroporators for ECT, has not been evaluated systemically, although many studies have investigated the efficacy of ECT on cancer cells. In this study, the cell-based performance on the newly developed ECT testing device was analyzed in two- and six-electrode modes using propidium iodide and bleomycin, and the electroporation characteristics were characterized. With on-chip fluorescence-based assays, the proposed device offers time- and cost-effective experimental procedures compared with conventional assays, and the results can reflect the electric characteristics of clinical electroporators.