When an electric field is applied to living cells, their membrane suffers electrical stretch forces. Depending on the electric field amplitude and duration, the cell shape is deformed and free ions can be transported across the membrane. There are also additional osmotic forces and water leakage through the pore(s) formed. Pores are created when the potential difference across the cell membrane is > 1 volt (Coster and Zimmerman, 1).
Depending on the severity of the membrane deformation, if the pores formed are less than a ‘critical diameter’, the cell’s lipid-free energy mobility can reseal the pore and return to normality. But, failure to reseal when the pore exceeds the critical diameter, leads to runaway membrane breakdown. This raises questions:
- How can we detect critical membrane breakdown due to electroporation?
- Under what electric pulse conditions will the pore created exceed the critical diameter and cause cell rupture?
- How can the electromechanical processes be identified and quantified?
Part 1 of this article is a good example of how research from yesteryear can elucidate a better understanding in using electroporation to ‘kill’ cancer cells. In the second paper to follow, Part 2 provides a progress update for the recent adaptive method of non-thermal irreversible electroporation (NTIRE) for cancer therapy.
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