Electro-endocytotic therapy as a treatment modality of cancer

Abstract

There is provided a method for introducing a therapeutic agent into a membrane vesicle, cell, or tissue by exposing the membrane vesicle, cell, or tissue to a low electric field in the presence of the therapeutic agent in an extracellular compartment of the membrane vesicle, cell, or tissue. Also provided is therapy including a low electric field alone or in combination with a therapeutic agent. A method for treating tumors and increasing inflammatory and immunogenic responses by exposing cells to a low electric field in the presence or absence of a therapeutic agent, alone or in combination with an immunostimulatory agent in an extracellular compartment of the cell is also provided.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for inducing endocytosis in cells by exposing the cells to a low electric field thereby inducing processes leading to cell death.  
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said exposing step includes incorporating a therapeutic agent into an intracellular compartment of the cells.  
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , further including the steps of preparing a suspension of therapeutic agents to be introduced therein, and applying a train of low voltage pulses to the suspension.  
     
     
         4 . A method according to  claim 1 , further including the steps of introducing the therapeutic agent to an area of a population of cells in vivo and applying the low electric field to the area.  
     
     
         5 . A therapy comprising a low electric field.  
     
     
         6 . The therapy according to  claim 5 , wherein said low electric field is a train of unipolar or alternating voltage pulses of different width and wave forms having an amplitude of voltage in the range of 1v/cm to 150v/cm at a frequency range of 1 Hz and 50 MHz.  
     
     
         7 . The therapy according to  claim 6 , wherein said therapy includes a therapeutic agent.  
     
     
         8 . The therapy according to  claim 7 , wherein said therapeutic agent is selected from the group consisting essentially of DNA, antisense and enzymes.  
     
     
         9 . A method of treating cells comprising the steps of exposing tumor cells to low electric fields.  
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein said exposing step includes endocytotically incorporating the therapeutic agents into an intracellular compartment from an extracellular compartment.  
     
     
         11 . A method of activating inflammatory and immuologic responses to a cell by exposing the cells to low electric fields.  
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 11 , including the step of augmenting the inflammatory and immunologic response by treating with immunostimulatory agents.  
     
     
         13 . A treatment for cancer cells by exposing the cancer cells to a low electric field and inducing endocytosis in the cancer cells.  
     
     
         14 . The treatment according to  claim 13 , wherein said inducing step further includes inducing cell death.  
     
     
         15 . The treatment according to  claim 13 , including the step of combinatorially treating by inducing endocytosis while also augmenting an immunological response.  
     
     
         16 . The treatment according to  claim 15 , further including the step of increasing uptake of both a chemotherapeutic agent and an immunostimulating agent.  
     
     
         17 . The treatment according to  claim 16 , wherein said increasing step further includes increasing the uptake of an agent selected from the group consisting essentially of DNA, antisense and enzymes.