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Electric Fields Regulate In Vitro Surface Phosphatidylserine Exposure of Cancer Cells via a Calcium-Dependent Pathway

Ahmet Kaynak1,2, Kombo F N'Guessan2,3, Priyankaben H Patel4

  • 1Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA.

Biomedicines
|February 25, 2023
PubMed

Insights

This study introduces a novel non-contact electric field (EF) system to modulate cancer biomarkers. Moderate EF exposure effectively altered cell surface phosphatidylserine (PS) and induced cancer cell cycle arrest.

Area of Science:

  • Biophysics
  • Oncology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Cancer is a leading cause of death with limited treatment options.
  • Existing electric field (EF) therapies have drawbacks like invasiveness and side effects.
  • There is a need for improved, non-invasive anti-cancer strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop and evaluate a non-contact EF stimulation system.
  • To investigate the in vitro effects of a novel EF modality on cancer biomarkers.
  • To explore the underlying mechanisms of EF-mediated cancer cell modulation.

Main Methods:

  • Developed a non-contact EF stimulation system.
  • Applied EF stimulation to normal and cancer cell lines (glioblastoma, pancreatic cancer).
  • Analyzed modulation of cancer biomarkers, including cell surface phosphatidylserine (PS), p38 MAPK, actin polymerization, and cell cycle progression.

Main Results:

  • The novel EF modality successfully modulated cell surface phosphatidylserine (PS) in cancer cells.
  • Moderate amplitude EF, but not low amplitude EF, induced p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation.
  • Moderate EF exposure led to actin polymerization and cell cycle arrest in cancer cell lines.

Conclusions:

  • The non-contact EF system shows potential for anti-cancer therapy by modulating key cancer biomarkers.
  • EF-induced changes in intracellular calcium (Ca2+) levels are proposed as a mechanism for PS exposure.
  • This EF modality offers a promising avenue for developing less invasive and more effective cancer treatments.
Keywords:
calcium modulationcancer biomarkerelectric fieldenhanced cancer therapyp38 MAPK-actin pathwaysurface phosphatidylserine exposure

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