Similar to humans, animals also experience side effects such as diarrhea, vomiting, and low white blood cell count when they are administered cancer drugs. Richard Heller, a University of South Florida biomedical researcher, along with his colleague, Mark Jaroszeski, collaborated with LifePulse Bioscience investor, Gary Strange, to create VetPulse 2000. The device aims to ease the delivery of cancer drugs using electric pulses instead of the usual processes like chemotherapy.
Minimizing side effects from cancer drugs
LifePulse Biomedical’s VetPulse 2000 applies a short series of low-energy electrical pulses to tumours. Heller said that their aim was to get medicine inside a cell, sharing that “by using electric fields, we can open temporary pathways in cell membranes so that drugs or genes can get inside and do their job.” It opens pores in cancer cells so that the drugs can directly attack the disease at its source. This device can be used on different sizes and sites of tumours.
The VetPulse 2000 started when Heller and Jaroszeski started conducting clinical trials, delivering chemotherapy to solid tumors. When Heller met Strange in 2019, electrical parameters and electrodes had already been optimized. Once they, came up with the idea of adding mild heat and monitoring tissue impedance, it made a huge difference. According to Jaroszeski, “gently warming tissue to about 43 degrees Celsius (109.4 degrees Fahrenheit) before pulsing, and using real-time electrical feedback to guide the process, increased delivery success rates by roughly tenfold.”
Pulse on the future
The VetPulse 2000 has received $35 million in federal grants, including funding from the National Institutes of Health. Erin Roof, a Florida-based Anumcal Cancer Care Clinic, who is also part of the early clinical use of VetPulse 2000, said that the procedure doesn’t make the pets sick. “The whole process takes about an hour, usually just one or two treatments. Side effects are minimal — maybe some redness or flakiness around the site — and most patients go home and feel fantastic,” she said.
The company’s next-generation design is focused on using it for different tumor sizes and sites, with the potential to move from animal treatment to human usage. For now, the current trials are key to increase the likelihood of getting an FDA approval for human use — and that future might be closer than we think. According to Heller, if the outcomes are good, they can proceed with human clinical trials within the next year, and clinics are already taking interest. “Our next steps are completing the veterinary data, building more systems, and moving through the FDA process,” he said.
YouTube: USF-invented technology is helping save sick family pets
By clicking play, you agree to YouTube's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Data may be shared with YouTube/Google.
Photo credit: The feature image is symbolic and has been taken by Werzk Luuuuuuu.
Source: University of South Florida
