Publications by authors named "Paulina Malakauskaite"

Article Synopsis
  • Electrochemotherapy (ECT) is a targeted drug delivery method using pulsed electric fields that can struggle with uneven electric field distribution in tumors, leading to reduced treatment effectiveness.
  • Researchers explored using 13 nm gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) to enhance electric field strength, aiming to address these non-homogeneity issues in ECT.
  • The study found that AuNPs, when combined with specific pulsed electric fields, improved drug permeabilization and electrotransfer, enabling effective electrochemotherapy at lower electric fields without toxicity, showing promise for cancer treatment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The phenomenon known as bipolar cancellation is observed when biphasic nanosecond electric field pulses are used, which results in reduced electroporation efficiency when compared to unipolar pulses of the same parameters. Basically, the negative phase of the bipolar pulse diminishes the effect of the positive phase. Our study aimed to investigate how bipolar cancellation affects Ca electrochemotherapy and cellular response under varying electric field intensities and pulse durations (3-7 kV/cm, 100, 300, and 500 ns bipolar 1 MHz repetition frequency pulse bursts, n = 100).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Electroporation-based procedures employing nanosecond bipolar pulses are commonly linked to an undesirable phenomenon known as the cancelation effect. The cancellation effect arises when the second pulse partially or completely neutralizes the effects of the first pulse, simultaneously diminishing cells' plasma membrane permeabilization and the overall efficiency of the procedure. Introducing a temporal gap between the positive and negative phases of the bipolar pulses during electroporation procedures may help to overcome the cancellation phenomenon; however, the exact thresholds are not yet known.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Electroporation is a method that shows great promise as a non-viral approach for delivering genes by using high-voltage electric pulses to introduce DNA into cells to induce transient gene expression. This research aimed to evaluate the interplay between electric pulse intensity and 100 µs-duration pulse numbers as an outcome of gene electrotransfer efficacy and cell viability. Our results indicated a close relationship between pulse number and electric field strength regarding gene electrotransfer efficacy; higher electric pulse intensity resulted in fewer pulses needed to achieve the same gene electrotransfer efficacy.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Gene electrotransfer (GET) is non-viral gene delivery technique, also known as electroporation-mediated gene delivery or electrotransfection. GET is a method used to introduce foreign genetic material (such as DNA or RNA) into cells by applying external pulsed electric fields (PEFs) to create temporary pores in the cell membrane. This study was undertaken to examine the impact of buffer composition on the efficiency of GET in mammalian cells Also, we specifically compared the effectiveness of high-frequency nanosecond (ns) pulses with standard microsecond (µs) pulses.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Ultra-short electric field pulses (nanoseconds) can selectively target mitochondria without affecting the outer cell membrane, showing promise for cancer treatments and influencing cell death and immune responses.
  • The study compares the effects of longer (100 µs) and shorter (100 ns) pulse durations on mitochondrial function, measuring parameters like membrane potential, ATP levels, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation.
  • Results indicate that while both pulse types affect mitochondrial activity, 100 ns pulses generate less ROS and can still be effective for calcium electrochemotherapy, highlighting their potential for targeted cancer therapies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF