Optimizing Integrated Electrode Design for Irreversible Electroporation of Implanted Polymer Scaffolds

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Engineering
• Cancer Therapy
• Electroporation Technology

Background:

• Irreversible electroporation (IRE) is a non-thermal ablation technique for solid tumors.
• Microporous poly(caprolactone) (PCL) scaffolds can recruit metastasizing cancer cells in vivo.
• Integrating electrodes into scaffolds is crucial for applying IRE to disseminated cancer cells.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate composite scaffolds integrating electrodes for irreversible electroporation (IRE) in treating disseminated cancer.
• To predict and optimize electric field distribution within porous scaffolds using numerical modeling for effective IRE delivery.
• To assess the efficacy of PCL-IRE scaffolds in recruiting and ablating cancer cells in vivo.

Main Methods:

• Numerical modeling to determine optimal electrode geometry for uniform electric fields within porous scaffolds.
• Fabrication of composite PCL-IRE scaffolds using PCL-coated stainless steel wire meshes and porous PCL scaffolds.
• In vivo evaluation of cell infiltration into PCL-IRE scaffolds and histological analysis of cancer cell ablation post-IRE treatment.

Main Results:

• Metal mesh electrodes (0.35 mm aperture, 0.16 mm wire diameter) provided uniform electric fields comparable to parallel plates.
• Composite PCL-IRE scaffolds showed no difference in in vivo cell infiltration compared to control PCL scaffolds.
• Histological analysis confirmed successful ablation of cancer cells infiltrating the PCL-IRE scaffolds after IRE application in vivo.

Conclusions:

• Composite PCL-IRE scaffolds effectively deliver homogeneous electric fields for irreversible electroporation.
• These scaffolds successfully recruit and ablate disseminated cancer cells in vivo, demonstrating potential for treating systemic cancers.
• Combining this technology with immunotherapy could further enhance IRE's application beyond solid tumors.