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The Effect of ELF Magnetic Field on Tumor Growth after Electrochemotherapy

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Abstract

From a fundamental point of view, chemotherapy is the most widely used treatment for cancers despite its side effects on normal cells and tissues. Electrochemotherapy (ECT) is a method for increasing the permeability of cancer cells to drugs and, hence, decreasing their dosage. It apparently creates electropores on the cell membrane using electric pulses. ECT can decrease tumor volume; but this effect is not permanent, and partial regrowth has been reported. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of magnetic fields in preventing the regrowth of tumors after ECT. Tumoral Balb/c mice were exposed to a magnetic field (15 mT, 50 Hz) for 12 days after treating additionally with 70 V/cm electric pulses and bleomycin at the first day. The magnetic field caused a significant reduction in tumor volumes, while there was no significant difference between the ECT and the electroporation with ECT and magnetic field groups. The exploited magnetic field (15 mT, 50 Hz) could decrease the tumor growth rate significantly, without any effect on ECT efficiency.

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Acknowledgments

This work is part of the master’s thesis research of A. Mahna, supported by Tarbiat Modares University. We thank Dr. Nasser Mahna from the University of Tabriz for peer reviewing the manuscript and for his extraordinary talent and dedication in editing the English version of the text.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Physics, School of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran

    A. Mahna, S. M. P. Firoozabadi & Z. Shankayi

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  1. A. Mahna
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  2. S. M. P. Firoozabadi
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  3. Z. Shankayi
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Correspondence to S. M. P. Firoozabadi.

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Mahna, A., Firoozabadi, S.M.P. & Shankayi, Z. The Effect of ELF Magnetic Field on Tumor Growth after Electrochemotherapy. J Membrane Biol 247, 9–15 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00232-013-9605-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00232-013-9605-0

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