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discoveries of subcellular biological effects induced by submicrosecond
pulsed electric fields with field strengths of several megavolts
per meter have opened new avenues for applications of pulsed power
technologies in medicine and biology. The discoveries and their
potential for medical applications have led to the establishment
of a Center for Bioelectrics in 2002 in the College of Engineering
and Technology at Old Dominion University, in partnership with Eastern
Virginia Medical School.
“Bioelectrics” refers to the use of pulsed power and/or
plasma technologies to manipulate cells, tissues and organisms.
The application of intense pulsed electric fields with ultrashort
duration has been proven to target intracellular structures and
functions without permanent damage to the cell membrane. Possible
applications include the killing of cancer cells. Recent experiments
on this topic, led by Richard Nuccitelli, who joined the Center
for Bioelectrics in 2004, mark an important step towards this goal.
His research shows that melanoma tumors can be eliminated by treatment
with 300-ns pulses of 40-kV/cm amplitude without lasting side effects.
This example also demonstrates the necessity of the close interaction
of engineers, biologists and clinicians in the emerging field of
bioelectrics. Understanding the interaction of electric fields with
cells requires the skills and knowledge of the different disciplines,
pulsed power being the enabling technology for bioelectrics. The
Center for Bioelectrics is the first institute of its kind to combine
the different skill sets of engineers, physicists, biologists and
clinicians under one roof. Beyond that, it has, through a Multidisciplinary
University Research Initiative (MURI), established collaborations
with other research centers in the US, including Massachusetts Institute
of Technology, Washington University, University of Texas, Michigan
University, University of Perdue-Calumet, and University of Wisconsin-Madison.
A second focus of bioelectrics research is the use of cold plasmas
in biological and environmental applications. A cold plasma pencil,
developed by Mounir Laroussi at the Frank Reidy Research Center
for Bioelectrics, was recently presented which can be used for the
treatment of delicate surfaces such as skin. In other experiments,
microhollow cathode-discharge-based discharges are being explored
as ultraviolet light sources for use as efficient and gentle methods
of bacterial decontamination.
The research at the center has already attracted substantial federal
agency support, including the aforementioned $5 million MURI grant
from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, in which the Center
for Bioelectrics at Old Dominion University serves as the lead institution.
Additional funding and support has been provided by industry contracts
and private sources. With a generous donation from the entrepreneur
and philanthropist, Frank Reidy, the Center for Bioelectrics has
now become the Frank Reidy Research Center for Bioelectrics. A naming
ceremony will be held in October this year. Frank Reidy has been
a supporter of research projects in bioelectrics for many years,
in particular to further the development of clinical applications.
In addition to the renaming, the year 2006 is also marked by two
other important developments in the history of the Frank Reidy Research
Center for Bioelectrics. The center has recently been designated
a University Center. However, the faculty members employed at the
center will continue to fulfill teaching obligations in the Electrical
and Computer Engineering department. The next highlight is the signing
of agreements with institutes at Kumamoto University, Japan, and
the Research Center in Karlsruhe, Germany to establish an International
Consortium on Bioelectrics. Other institutes have already expressed
an interest in joining this consortium. This increasing interest
in the US and around the world demonstrates potential and possibilities
that the research in bioelectrics offers. The director of the Frank
Reidy Research Center for Bioelectrics, Karl Schoenbach, is confident
that cell electromanipulation by ultrashort, intense pulsed electric
fields “will end up in your doctor’s office with applications,
not only for tumor treatment, but also for gene therapy, wound healing,
removal of warts, treatment of fungal infections and even cosmetic
uses. The effects that have been observed so far are only the tip
of the iceberg.”
Juergen Kolb, the author of this article, can be reached at
the Frank Reidy Research Center for Bioelectrics, Old Dominion University,
830 Southampton Avenue, Suite 5100, Norfolk, VA 23510; Phone: +1
757-683-2414; E-mail: jkolb@odu.edu.
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