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ELECTROGENE THERAPY
An
exposure of a cell to an electric field of an adequate strength and
duration leads to a transient increase of cell membrane
permeability. This phenomenon, termed electroporation
or electropermeabilization,
allows various otherwise nonpermeant molecules to cross the membrane
and enter the cell. Both in vitro and in vivo,
reversible electroporation allows for internalization of a wide
range of substances, including chemotherapeutics and DNA.
A
combination of electroporation and a chemotherapeutic drug
(electrochemotherapy) leads to a significant increase of the
antitumor effect of the drug. Electroporation also provides a
reliable nonviral method of DNA internalization (electrogene
transfection), characterized by a stable gene expression in vivo,
and thereby representing a safer alternative to viral vectors.
Bibliography:
- Jaroszeski MJ, Heller R, Gilbert R. Electrochemotherapy,
Electrogenetherapy and Transdermal Drug Delivery. Humana
Press, New Jersey, USA, 1999.
- Satkauskas S, Bureau MF, Puc M, Mahfoudi A, Scherman D,
Miklavcic D, Mir LM. Mechanisms of in vivo DNA electrotransfer:
respective contributions of cell electropermeabilization and DNA
electrophoresis. Mol. Ther. 5: 133-140, 2002. [PDF
 ]
-
Miklavcic D, Kotnik T. Electroporation for electrochemotherapy and gene therapy.
In Rosch PJ, Markov MS, Bioelectromagnetic Medicine,
Marcel Dekker, New York, 2004, pp. 637-656. [PDF
 ]
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