Irreversible electroporation for post-operative margin therapy to prevent cancer recurrence based on triboelectric nanogenerator driven balloon catheter

Even though cancer therapeutic methods are improving rapidly, cancer recurrence has always remained a big challenge. Even a small lesion of missed neoplastic cells during the surgery can result in tumor recurrence and the consequent silent metastasis, making this issue more critical and complicated for prognosis. Hence, developing new methods with capability of clearing margins without side effects to the healthy surrounding tissues has always been a significant concern. This study introduced a method to prevent cancer recurrence by exposing cavity side margins to irreversible electroporation (IRE) through a balloon catheter. For this purpose, the induced tumor in BALB/c mice (as in-vivo animal model) is mostly resected, and just a traceable part is left as a model of the involved margin. A balloon-catheter is then filled with the conductive saline and inserted into the postoperative cavity. The IRE is applied through a low-cost high-voltage triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) that is connected to the balloon catheter. Delivering a homogenous IRE without any muscle contraction by the elastic spherical balloon ensures that all the margin surfaces are exposed to the electric field. Monitoring the size of the remained tumor by the sonography imaging reveals that just 15 days of TENG-based balloon catheter irreversible electroporation (TBC-IRE) reduces the size of remained tumor by 94%, while 303% growth is observed in the remained tumor of control group of mice. Further histological analysis of this treatment disclosed no remarkable side effects on the adjacent tissue or organ. Everything considered, margin therapy by TBC-IRE can be a promising method for preventing cancer recurrence and potentially improving cancer-bearing patients' survival. [Display omitted] •Cancer recurrence is always a big challenge after surgery.•Recurrence is due to the remained small lesions of tumor cells in the cavity site.•The proposed triboelectric generator (TENG) device is able to produce irreversible electroporation (IRE) in cancer tissues.•IRE is delivered to the cancer margins through a balloon-catheter using a TENG device.•This method can compete with the bulky and expensive preventive cancer recurrence methods such as IORT or brachytherapy.