Thermal Effects on Cell Death Induced by

High-Intensity, Ultrashort Electric Pulses

Jiahui Song

Department of Electrical Engineering and Technology

Wentworth Institute of Technology

Boston, MA 02115, USA

songj@wit.edu

Ravindra Joshi

Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering

Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX 79409, USA ravi.joshi@ttu.edu

Abstractâ??Nanosecond and high intensity electric pulse induced irreversible electroporation has been shown to eliminate melanoma tumor cells with needle electrodes, while thermal effects are typically not considered. Our results of self-consistent analyses of cells show that thermal effects due to high-intensity, ultrashort pulses could facilitate poration over small sections of the membrane. Short-term temperature increases of several degrees Celsius above the physiological temperature could allow a considerable reduction in the pulse duration and amplitude for pore formation. Thermally launched bioresponses are similar in nature to those triggered electrically. Molecular Dynamics simulations indicate an increased probability for pore formation in the plasma membrane with lower pulse amplitude or smaller pulse durations at elevated temperatures. Synergistic effects enhance the benefits at a lower energy cost and better utilize bioelectric effects for therapeutic applications. Therapeutic applications include the treatment of tumors in internal organs by adding thermal effects as a synergistic mechanism. The treatments use antennas to reach internal organs and require the application of even shorter subnanosecond pulses, in order to obtain a reasonably small focal volume.

Keywordsâ?? thermal effects; high-intensity; ultrashort; molecular dynamics