Nanopulses and their applications: Permeabilisation to bleomycin molecules by 10 ns duration electric pulses in a tumor model in vivo

Permeabilisation by nanosecond electric pulses has been assessed in vitro using several permeabilisation markers. We establish in this paper that reversible permeabilisation by 10 ns pulses can be achieved in vivo. Experiments were performed on tumors. The permeabilisation was assessed by combining a cytotoxic drug (bleomycin) and 10 ns pulses. Although no tumor regression was achieved, systematic tumor growth delay was observed. The use of 30 pulses of 10 ns with a field magnitude between 2 and 2.5 kV/mm already induced a delay in the tumor growth.