Wearable electric-field device slows aggressive breast cancer in preclinical study
A drug-free technology that uses low-intensity electric fields reduces tumor growth and spread in preclinical models of triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease, according to new research from The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center—Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC—James).
Researchers at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center—Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC—James) have discovered a drug-free method employing low-intensity electric fields to reduce tumor growth and metastasis in preclinical models of triple-negative breast cancer, a particularly aggressive type of the disease.
Triple-negative breast cancer is hard to treat due to the lack of hormone or protein targets and its high risk of recurrence or spread, often leading to complications such as lung and brain metastases. This novel approach utilizes a wearable device that generates low-intensity fields outside the body, differentiating it from existing electric field treatments that necessitate contact electrodes.
Jonathan Song, Ph.D., co-corresponding author and researcher at OSUCCC—James, explained that the current does not run through the body but instead generates fields that interact with cancer cells in a controlled manner. The electric fields influenced various cancer-related processes, including cell movement, spread, and energy usage.
In cases where breast cancer had metastasized to the lungs, the treatment also decreased immunosuppressive cells and increased cancer-fighting immune cells. Surprisingly, these electric fields did not act solely on cancer cells but also affected the surrounding tumor area, potentially enhancing the body's ability to recognize and combat cancer.
This research, published in Breast Cancer: Targets and Therapy, is based on preclinical models and not yet tested on patients. It involved a partnership between OSUCCC—James and EMBioSys Inc. to develop a wearable investigational device. The next step is to trial the technology in a National Institutes of Health-sponsored clinical trial in humans.
While the technology is still in its early stages, the potential for a wearable, low-powered device to aid in breast cancer treatment as part of a patient's daily life is promising.
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