Tracking protein electrodenaturation fronts in the electrochemical treatment of tumors

Abstract

Electrochemical reactions in the electrochemical treatment of tumors (EChT) induce extreme pH changes and, consequently, protein electrodenaturation fronts intimately related to tumor destruction. Here we introduce a new in vitro EChT collagen-macronutrient gel (CMG) model to study protein electrodenaturation fronts as a mean of assessing EChT effectiveness. Our CMG model shows that from an initial uniform condition two electrodenaturation fronts evolve expanding towards each other until collision. Moreover, electrodenaturation front tracking reveals that the front grows under a diffusion-controlled regime. Based on this evidence it is possible, in principle, to predict the time needed for tumor destruction without compromising healthy tissue. These results are consistent with those previously obtained with in vivo and in vitro EChT modeling. In contrast to previous simpler in vitro models, our CMG model represents a better structural and chemical approximation to a real tissue thus providing a better tool for validation of new in silico EChT models aimed at a more accurate prediction of tissue destruction level.