Abstract

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Title:: Micromechanism of tumor treating fields and advances in its clinical application

Author(s):: YANG Lishu; LIU Lizhu; HAN Bo; Department of Oncology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150001, China

Abstract:: Tumor treating fields (TTFields) uses a non-invasive disposable sensor array to provide low-intensity, intermediate frequency, alternating electric field for interfering with cell mitosis, and leading to stress, apoptosis and inhibition of cell proliferation, thereby achieving the purpose of local treatment of tumors. TTFields can destroy the chromosome segregation of mitotic tumor cells by disturbing the normal assembly and disassembly of α/β-tubulin on microtubules, disturb the formation and contraction of cell cleavage furrow by applying physical forces such as rotation and torsion stresses on the proteins with high dipole moment such as Septin complex, non-muscle myosin II and F-actin, and disrupt the cytoplasmic separation by dielectrophoresis induced by uneven electric fields in mitotic cells. The sensitive parameters of TTFields for various cells are different, but TTFields has no effect on quiescent cells. The combination of TTFields and chemotherapy has additive or synergistic effect, thus further improving curative effect. TTFields has the advantages of less trauma and fewer side effects, and its safety and effectiveness have been verified in phase III clinical trials of glioblastoma. Some clinical trials on TTFields have also been carried out in other kinds of cancer.