<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><sec><h3>Background</h3><p>Electroporation-based therapies such as electrochemotherapy (ECT) and irreversible electroporation (IRE) are emerging as promising tools for treatment of tumors. When applied to the brain, electroporation can also induce transient blood-brain-barrier (BBB) disruption in volumes extending beyond IRE, thus enabling efficient drug penetration. The main objective of this study was to develop a statistical model predicting cell death and BBB disruption induced by electroporation. This model can be used for individual treatment planning.</p></sec><sec><h3>Material and methods</h3><p>Cell death and BBB disruption models were developed based on the Peleg-Fermi model in combination with numerical models of the electric field. The model calculates the electric field thresholds for cell kill and BBB disruption and describes the dependence on the number of treatment pulses. The model was validated using in vivo experimental data consisting of rats brains MRIs post electroporation treatments.</p></sec><sec><h3>Results</h3><p>Linear regression analysis confirmed that the model described the IRE and BBB disruption volumes as a function of treatment pulses number (r<sup>2</sup> = 0.79; p &lt; 0.008, r<sup>2</sup> = 0.91; p &lt; 0.001). The results presented a strong plateau effect as the pulse number increased. The ratio between complete cell death and no cell death thresholds was relatively narrow (between 0.88-0.91) even for small numbers of pulses and depended weakly on the number of pulses. For BBB disruption, the ratio increased with the number of pulses. BBB disruption radii were on average 67% ± 11% larger than IRE volumes.</p></sec><sec><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>The statistical model can be used to describe the dependence of treatment-effects on the number of pulses independent of the experimental setup.</p></sec></abstract>

BackgroundElectroporation-based therapies such as electrochemotherapy (ECT) and irreversible electroporation (IRE) are emerging as promising tools for treatment of tumors. When applied to the brain, electroporation can also induce transient blood-brain-barrier (BBB) disruption in volumes extending beyond IRE, thus enabling efficient drug penetration. The main objective of this study was to develop a statistical model predicting cell death and BBB disruption induced by electroporation. This model can be used for individual treatment planning.Material and methodsCell death and BBB disruption models were developed based on the Peleg-Fermi model in combination with numerical models of the electric field. The model calculates the electric field thresholds for cell kill and BBB disruption and describes the dependence on the number of treatment pulses. The model was validated using in vivo experimental data consisting of rats brains MRIs post electroporation treatments.ResultsLinear regression analysis confirmed that the model described the IRE and BBB disruption volumes as a function of treatment pulses number (r2 = 0.79; p < 0.008, r2 = 0.91; p < 0.001). The results presented a strong plateau effect as the pulse number increased. The ratio between complete cell death and no cell death thresholds was relatively narrow (between 0.88-0.91) even for small numbers of pulses and depended weakly on the number of pulses. For BBB disruption, the ratio increased with the number of pulses. BBB disruption radii were on average 67% ± 11% larger than IRE volumes.ConclusionsThe statistical model can be used to describe the dependence of treatment-effects on the number of pulses independent of the experimental setup.

A statistical model describing combined irreversible electroporation and electroporation-induced blood-brain barrier disruption

Radiology and Oncology

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

BackgroundElectroporation-based therapies such as electrochemotherapy (ECT) and irreversible electroporation (IRE) are emerging as promising tools for...

A statistical model describing combined irreversible electroporation and electroporation-induced blood-brain barrier disruption

Article Category: Research Article

Published Online: Feb 16, 2016

Page range: 28 - 38

Received: Oct 23, 2015

Accepted: Jan 03, 2016

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/raon-2016-0009

Keywords
electroporarion, blood brain barrier, Peleg-Fermi

© 2016 Radiol Oncol

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

A statistical model describing combined irreversible electroporation and electroporation-induced blood-brain barrier disruption

Article Category: Research Article

Published Online: Feb 16, 2016

Page range: 28 - 38

Received: Oct 23, 2015

Accepted: Jan 03, 2016

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/raon-2016-0009

Keywordselectroporarion, blood brain barrier, Peleg-Fermi

© 2016 Radiol Oncol

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
electroporarion, blood brain barrier, Peleg-Fermi