Large-Scale Parametric Study of Electroporation in Cancer Cells to Construct Phase Diagrams Using Micro Cell-Array

Huiqi HE, Donald C. CHANG and Yi-Kuen LEE

In this study, a new micro electroporation cell chip was fabricated by MEMS technology and tested by using cervical cancer (HeLa) cells. Large statistical data of the critical voltage and duration time were determined to construct the “phase diagram” which delineating the boundary for effective electroporation and electric cell lysis at the single-cell level.

Keywords: electroporation, cancer cells, propidum iodide, phase diagrams

Acknowledgement

This work is supported partially by Hong Kong Research Grant Council through the grant HKUST# 616205 and HKUST6109/01M.

REFERENCES

[1] D. C. Chang, et al., Guide to Electroporation and Electrofusion, Academic Press, (1992).

[2] F. Yang, H. He, D. C. Chang, Y.-K. Lee, “Parametric study of pulsed radio-frequency electroporation on microchips at the single-cell level,” MicroTAS’04, Malmö, Sweden,

Sep 26-30, Vol. 2, 79 (2004).

[3] S. B. Dev, D. P. Rabussay, G. Widera, G. A. Hofmann, “Medical applications of electroporation,” IEEE T. Plasma Sci., 28, pp.206-223 (2000).

[4] E. Neumann, K. Toensing, S.Kakorin, P. Budde, J. Frey, “Mechanism of electroporative dye uptake by mouse B cells,” Biophysical Journal, 74, 98 (1998).