Enhanced drug uptake on application of electroporation in a single-cell model

TL;DR

This paper presents a generalized model of electroporation-enhanced drug transport in single cells, accounting for non-uniform membrane permeabilization, and identifies optimal electric fields and permeability for effective drug uptake.

Contribution

A novel, comprehensive model of drug transport in single cells during electroporation that considers non-homogeneous membrane permeabilization and guides experimental parameter selection.

Findings

Optimal electric field identified for maximum drug uptake

Non-uniform permeabilization significantly affects drug delivery efficiency

Model reduces need for extensive experimental trials

Abstract

Electroporation method is a useful tool for delivering drugs into various diseased tissues in the human body. As a result of an applied electric field, drug particles enter the intracellular compartment through the temporarily permeabilized cell membrane. Consequently, electroporation method allows better penetration of the drug into the diseased tissue and improves treatment clinically. In this study, a more generalized model of drug transport in a single-cell is proposed. The model is able to capture non-homogeneous drug transport in the cell due to non-uniform cell membrane permeabilization. Several numerical experiments are conducted to understand the effects of electric field and drug permeability on drug uptake into the cell. Through investigation, the appropriate electric field and drug permeability are identified that lead to sufficient drug uptake into the cell. This model can be used by experimentalists to get information prior to conduct any experiment, and it may help reduce the number of actual experiments that might be conducted otherwise.