Exaggeration of the impact of electroporation due to the use of multielectrode bipolar systems

Purpose of the study. Cancer is a common disease all over the world. Along with various surgical, minimally invasive, and drug treatment methods of anticancer therapy, the method of electroporation also exists. This method of treatment implies changing the cell membrane conductivity under the influence of high voltage pulses. Temporary change of conductivity leads to the cell membrane unfolding, which in turn allows to deliver a drug molecule to the cell – a reversible electroporation. A permanent increase in the conductivity of the cell leads to irreversible changes resulting in artificial apoptosis and is called irreversible electroporation. Various electrodes placed in human tissues are used to create a region of high voltage values. Electrodes for electroporation are represented by single needle, flat electrodes, and various multi-electrode systems. With all the variety of electrodes available today, considering the need for creating high voltage levels, both reversible and irreversible electroporation have one significant disadvantage – the small volume of the resulting impact. This work was aimed at evaluating the possibility of using new multielectrode constructions in electroporation to increase the volume of exposure in the treatment of squamous tumors. Material and methods. Three-dimensional numerical models of electroporation in COMSOL Multiphysics 5.6 software package were used to investigate the possibility of increasing the volume of treatment during electroporation. Model calculations of electrode systems were carried out as part of the study. Results. A system that consisted of a combination of flat and needle electrodes was considered. This configuration was found to expand the treatment options for superficial squamous tumors. The results of computer modelling showed the possibility of increasing the obtained volume of impact on biological tissues by using this approach. Conclusion. The application of combined multielectrode bipolar systems allows to increase the exposure volume. Preliminary model calculations have shown the potential for the development of this direction. Key words: reversible electroporation, irreversible electroporation, electrode, multielectrode systems, cancer therapy, oncology, computer modelling, bipolar systems, flat electrode, needle electrode Conflicts of interest. The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare. Funding. This work was supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation (grant No. FSFZ2023-0004).