TARGETING THE ALTERED PHYSICS OF CANCER

TARGETED TUMOR ABLATION

We have developed a pulsed electric field (PEF) ablation method that is capable of preferentially destroying malignant cells based on their altered morphologies, particularly the enlarged nuclear-to-cytoplasmic ratio (NCR) that is often a hallmark of malignant cells. We are now leveraging this approach for treatment of highly infiltrative neoplasms, such as glioblastoma (GBM), in both small and large animal cancers. This work is carried out in close collaboration with the Davalos lab at Virginia Tech.

PHYSICAL IMMUNO-MODULATION

Based on intriguing in vivo evidence for an anti-tumor immune response following certain classes of pulsed electric field (PEF) therapies, we are studying the fundamental cell signaling responses to non-lethal versions of these treatments. We have recently demonstrated induction of immune profiles in vitro that are known to be tumor suppressive in the tumor microenvironment (TME) in vivo.