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Updated: Feb 10, 2026
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Spatio-Temporal Manipulation of Small GTPase Activity at Subcellular Level and on Timescale of Seconds in Living Cells
Published on: March 9, 2012
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Spatio-temporal dynamics of calcium electrotransfer during cell membrane permeabilization
Alexis Guionet1, S Moosavi Nejad1, Justin Teissié2
1Bioelectrics Department, Institute of Pulsed Power Science, Kumamoto University, 2-39-1 Kurokami, Kumamoto, 860-8555, Japan.
Drug Delivery and Translational Research
|May 13, 2018
Summary
Pulsed electric fields (PEFs) enable controlled calcium delivery into cancer cells. Optimal PEF conditions were identified for effective calcium electroporation, a promising cancer treatment.
Area of Science:
- Biophysics
- Cell Biology
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Pulsed electric fields (PEFs) are utilized for various cellular applications, including drug and gene delivery, and cancer therapy.
- Calcium electroporation leverages differential cell death induction in malignant versus normal cells.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the spatial and temporal cellular responses to pulsed electric fields (PEFs).
- To observe real-time calcium uptake through the cell membrane following PEF application.
- To determine optimal PEF parameters for efficient calcium delivery into cancer cells.
Main Methods:
- Utilized an inverted fluorescence microscope with a high-speed camera and a miniaturized pulsed power system.
- Applied PEFs ranging from 0.27 to 1.80 kV/cm to HeLa S3 cells.
- Observed real-time cell membrane permeabilization and calcium influx.
Main Results:
- Confirmed the threshold transmembrane potential (TMP) for cell permeabilization.
- Quantified the spatial variation of cell membrane permeabilization angle (θ).
- Identified 0.45 kV/cm and 100 pulses at 1 kHz as optimal conditions for full calcium concentration in the cytoplasm.
Conclusions:
- Ionic diffusion is the primary mechanism for cytoplasmic delivery post-permeabilization.
- Precise control of electric fields can optimize extracellular calcium release for cancer treatment.
- Results support minimally invasive cancer calcium electroporation with minimal side effects.
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