Iontronic Pumps: A Novel Tool for Targeted Brain Tumor Treatment

Verena Handl^a, Linda Waldherr^a, Sabine Erschen^a, Astrid Gorischek^a, Joachim Distl^a, Rainer Schindl^a, Theresia Arbring Sjöström^b, Tobias Abrahamsson^b, Maria Seitanidou^b, Magnus Berggren^b, Tamara Tomin^c, Sophie Honeder^c, Ruth Birner-Grünberger^c, Waltraud Huber^d, Nassim Ghaffari-Trabizi-Wizsy^d, Martin Asslaber^e, Marta Nowakowska^f, Ute Schäfer^f, Silke Patz^f, Daniel Simon^b, Muammer Ücal^f

^aGottfried Schatz Research Center – Biophysics, Medical University of Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria

^bLaboratory of Organic Electronics, Department of Science and Technology, Linköping University, 60174 Norrköping, Sweden

^cInstitute of Chemical Technologies and Analytics, Technische Universität Wien, 1060 Vienna, Austria

^dOtto Loewi Research Center - Immunology and Pathophysiology, Medical University of Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria

^e6Diagnostic and Research Institute of Pathology, Medical University of Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria

^fResearch Unit of Experimental Neurotraumatology, Medical University of Graz, 8036 Graz, Austria

Materials for Sustainable Development Conference (MATSUS)
Proceedings of MATSUS Fall 2023 Conference (MATSUSFall23)

#BIOEL - Bioelectronics

Torremolinos, Spain, 2023 October 16th - 20th

Organizers: Francesca Santoro and Achilleas Savva

Poster, Verena Handl, 332
Publication date: 18th July 2023

Local administration of potent chemotherapeutic agents holds significant promise as a therapeutic strategy to enhance the effectiveness of treating challenging tumors, particularly glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), one of the most deadly brain tumors. Despite their strong anti-GBM properties, chemotherapeutics like Gemcitabine (Gem) face limitations due to their inefficient passage through the blood-brain barrier.

In this study, we present an innovative approach using freestanding iontronic pumps, referred to as GemIPs, containing a specially synthesized ion exchange membrane, to deliver Gem locally in a GBM model situated on the chicken chorioallantoic membrane. In parallel, we compare the outcomes with a conventional daily topical treatment regimen. Our findings reveal that both administration methods induce G2-phase cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in GBM cells.

Notably, we observed significant growth inhibition exclusively with the sustained Gem dosage via GemIPs, whereas daily topical drug administration at maximum safe doses did not result in lethality for the chick embryo but failed to inhibit tumor growth. We postulate that the dissimilar transient concentration profiles generated by these techniques underlie this distinction in outcomes. To support this hypothesis, we developed a digital model of the experiment, which predicts rapid concentration decay with daily topical treatment but sustained high local Gem concentrations near the tumor site with GemIPs.

The application of continuous chemotherapy through iontronic devices introduces a novel dimension to cancer treatment. It enables prolonged and highly localized delivery of clinically available potent chemotherapeutic agents, offering the potential to significantly enhance treatment efficacy while minimizing systemic side effects. In summary, our study underscores the promising prospects of this approach, particularly when considering its application in the context of rat animal experiments.

References:

[1] Waldherr, L. et.al.

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