Analysis of membrane permeability due to synergistic effect of controlled shock wave and electric field application

Computational analysis of the simultaneous application of ultrasound and electric fields in a lipid bilayer

The combined application of electric fields and ultrasonic waves has shown promise in controlling cell membrane permeability, potentially resulting in synergistic effects that can be explored in the biotechnology industry. However, further clarification on how these processes interact is still needed. The objective of the present study was to investigate the atomic-scale effects of these processes on a DPPC lipid bilayer using molecular dynamics simulations. For higher electric fields, capable of independently forming pores, the application of an ultrasonic wave in the absence of cavitation yielded no additional effects on pore formation. However, for lower electric fields, the reduction in bilayer thickness induced by the shock wave catalyzed the electroporation process, effectively shortening the mean path that water molecules must traverse to form pores. When cavitation was considered, synergistic effects were evident only if the wave alone was able to generate pores through the formation of a water nanojet. In these cases, sonoporation acted as a mean to focus the electroporation effects on the initial pore formed by the nanojet. This study contributes to a better understanding of the synergy between electric fields and ultrasonic waves and to an optimal selection of processing parameters in practical applications of these processes.

Ultralong recovery time in nanosecond electroporation systems enabled by orientational-disordering processes

The growing importance of applications based on molecular medicine and genetic engineering is driving the need to develop high-performance electroporation technologies. The electroporation phenomenon involves disruption of the cell for increasing membrane permeability. Although there is a multitude of research focused on exploring new electroporation techniques, the engineering of programming schemes suitable for these electroporation methods remains a challenge. Nanosecond stimulations could be promising candidates for these techniques owing to their ability to generate a wide range of biological responses. Here we control the membrane permeabilization of cancer cells using different numbers of electric-field pulses through orientational disordering effects. We then report our exploration of a few-volt nanosecond alternating-current (AC) stimulation method with an increased number of pulses for developing electroporation systems. A recovery time of ∼720 min was achieved, which is above the average of ∼76 min for existing electroporation methods using medium cell populations, as well as a previously unreported increased conductance with an increase in the number of pulses using weak bias amplitudes. All-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations reveal the orientation-disordering-facilitated increase in the degree of permeabilization. These findings highlight the potential of few-volt nanosecond AC-stimulation with an increased number of pulse strategies for the development of next-generation low-power electroporation systems.

Mathematical and computational modeling for the determination of optical parameters of breast cancer cell

This study enumerates the quantitative measurement of optical parameters used in several diagnostic procedures for malignant tissue. Optical diagnosis is proposed due to its non-invasive and non-destructive nature. This paper recapitulates Fresnel equation (polarization independent) to determine the characteristic critical angle of malignant tissue. The critical angle of malignant tissue is lower than healthier tissue and is therefore an optical parameter of interest for lesion tissue diagnosis. Similarly, a quantitative analysis is derived to commensurate refractive index and absorption and reflective property of tissue and its nuance with healthier counterparts. The second dichotomy of the research concentrates on comparing and validating the mathematical analysis with COMSOL Multiphysics® 5.2 simulation. The magnitude of malignant tissue reflectance is obtained across a range of incident angle ranging from 0° to 90°. The simulation results satiate the quantitative analysis with only 1.3% deviation. This quantitative result provides prospect of collaborating bio-electromagnetism results with Artificial Intelligence technology for active disease progression diagnosis utilizing minimum invasive diagnostic procedure.

Malignant cell characterization via mathematical analysis of bio impedance and optical properties

Diagnosis in the early stage of breast cancer is crucial for the onset of preliminary treatment. Non-radiative bioimpedance measurement in the microwave frequency range can contribute to electrode-medium interface error and the malaise of electrode placement on the patient to take measurements. These reasons account for alternate diagnosis procedure and improved reliability of retrieved mensuration. Non-invasive optical diagnosis in the near infra-red (NIR) and visible light of the electromagnetic range is the shifting paradigm for healthcare diagnosis. An accurate quantitative measurement is unparalleled to circumvent false positives. The focus of this paper is to perform quantitative mathematical analysis for bioimpedance and optical properties for sample breast cancer cells for meticulous interpretation of malignant cell diagnosis. The analytical solution of the Cole-Cole plot, relaxation frequency, and capacitance measurement showed reliability with previous experimental findings. The dissimilitude of the frequency-dependent refractive index measurement of the malignant and healthy cell can be used by clinicians for pronouncement. The diffusion theory is also used to interpret the pathlength of the source light particle and the absorption property of the malignant cell. The synergistic analytical solutions of the bioimpedance and optical parameters can be used by licensed Physicians or Clinical Practitioners (CP) to meticulously interpret the diagnosis result. The quantitative parameters obtained from the dispersed bandwidth range from microwave to visible light offers a comprehensive understanding of the biophysical properties of the malignant cell.

Biodielectric phenomenon for actively differentiating malignant and normal cells: An overview

Active research is invested in early diagnosis of malignant cells in order to allow scope for effective treatment. The electrical impedance measurements and the modeling techniques used to perform the calculation for dielectric permittivity, conductivity and relaxation frequency aids in the differentiation of malignant and healthy cells. The literature showed a general trend in data with malignant cells having higher electrical conductivity and lower dielectric permittivity than its surrounding healthier cells. However, the relaxation frequency that correlates with the dielectric loss factor was found twice in magnitude for cancer cells than healthy cells. The water content of a cancer cell is found higher and hence correlates with the shift in the relaxation time. The intracellular sodium ion concentration is also realized to be higher for malignant cells than normal cells and accounts for the depolarized transmembrane potential. Hence, this paper forms the framework for future technological innovation that can be taken into account to actively diagnose cancer cell.