Efficient and economical electro-drug delivery

Presented in this paper are our investigations on the application of short duration (milli and micro seconds) electrical voltage pulses for the treatment of breast carcinoma cells and also for delivering molecules into adult mesenchymal stem cells. Since current therapies do not work effectively for many patients, there is a need for alternative, affordable, yet effective treatments for various cancers and other diseases. For this purpose, electroporation, a pulse power technology was used as a tool to investigate its effect on viability and proliferation on human breast cancer cell lines and adult stem cells using various voltages and pulse durations. The results indicate that electrical pulses could be used effectively and economically to enhance drug transport across the normally impermeable plasma cell membranes as well as to reduce proliferation.