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A Commemorative Special Issue in Honor of Prof. Jolanta Saczko:...
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A Commemorative Special Issue in Honor of Prof. Jolanta Saczko: Pharmaceutical Science in Electrochemotherapy

A special issue of Pharmaceuticals (ISSN 1424-8247). This special issue belongs to the section "Medicinal Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 November 2024) | Viewed by 8843

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Nina Rembiałkowska

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Wroclaw Medical University, Wrocław, Poland
Interests: membrane permeabilization; electroporation; pulsed electric field; irreversible electroporation; electrochemotherapy; drug delivery; drug resistance; anti-cancer drug delivery; cancer biology; in vitro cell culture; tumor cell culture; cell viability; cytotoxicity; in vivo electroporation; natural chemotherapeutics; apoptosis; cell death; immunofluorescence; biomedical engineering
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue is dedicated to Professor Jolanta Saczko for her pioneering work and invaluable contribution to the field of Electrochemotherapy. Prof. Saczko had been working as a Guest Editor on a Special Issue of Pharmaceuticals entitled “Pharmaceutical Science in Electrochemotherapy”, but she sadly passed away in 2023.

Prof. Dr. Jolanta Saczko was the Head of the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology at the Faculty of Pharmacy, Wroclaw Medical University, Poland. Prof. Dr. Saczko obtained her Ph.D. degree with honors in medical biology at the Faculty of Medicine in 1998. She then continued her scientific career under the supervision of Prof. Teresa Banaś and then Prof. Andrzej Gamian, at the Department of Medical Biochemistry. In 2012, she was awarded the degree of habilitated Doctor of Medical Sciences in the field of medical biology at Poznan University of Medical Sciences, and she was also nominated in 2019 as a Professor of Medical Sciences.

One of her biggest accomplishments was creating a new Department of Molecular and Cell Biology from scratch at the Faculty of Pharmacy. This department has grown and exceeded all expectations and Prof. Dr. Saczko has been awarded many times for her great leadership and contributions. In addition to publishing over 200 articles, she devoted her life to science and to educating her younger colleagues. She was a supervisor of many engineering, masters and doctoral theses.

This Special Issue, entitled “A Commemorative Special Issue in Honor of Prof. Jolanta Saczko: Pharmaceutical Science in Electrochemotherapy”, to be published by the journal Pharmaceuticals, seeks contributions assessing state-of-the-art research as well as future developments in the field of anticancer compound delivery to cancer cells via electroporation. Electroporation is a phenomenon in which biological cell membrane permeabilization is triggered by a pulsed electric field. Depending on the electric field parameters, different biological effects can be triggered. Topics of interest for this Special Issue include but are not limited to the influence of new drugs and natural compounds to cell organelles, especially mitochondria, cell nuclei, lysosomes, and membranes; and studies on the synergistic interaction of drugs and bioactive compounds with cancer cells. Authors are invited to submit their latest results in the form of original papers and reviews. We are interested in new and more effective bioactivity of plant extracts, natural compounds and new drugs, and antiproliferative and anticancer activity, which could be developed and find potential applications in pharmacy and medical sciences.

Dr. Nina Rembiałkowska
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Pharmaceuticals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • electrochemotherapy
  • cell membrane permeability
  • pulsed electric
  • field anticancer compounds delivery
  • natural compounds
  • bioactive compounds
  • plant extract
  • cytotoxicity
  • anticancer activity
  • antiproliferative activity

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 5693 KiB  
Article
Electroporation with Calcium or Bleomycin: First Application in an In Vivo Uveal Melanoma Patient-Derived Xenograft Model
by Ralitsa Anastasova, Miltiadis Fiorentzis, Hongtao Liu, Sami Dalbah, Nikolaos E. Bechrakis, Berthold Seitz, Utta Berchner-Pfannschmidt and Theodora Tsimpaki
Pharmaceuticals 2024, 17(7), 905; https://doi.org/10.3390/ph17070905 - 7 Jul 2024
Viewed by 1106
Abstract
Uveal melanoma (UM) represents a rare tumor of the uveal tract and is associated with a poor prognosis due to the high risk of metastasis. Despite advances in the treatment of UM, the mortality rate remains high, dictating an urgent need for novel [...] Read more.
Uveal melanoma (UM) represents a rare tumor of the uveal tract and is associated with a poor prognosis due to the high risk of metastasis. Despite advances in the treatment of UM, the mortality rate remains high, dictating an urgent need for novel therapeutic strategies. The current study introduces the first in vivo analysis of the therapeutic potential of calcium electroporation (CaEP) compared with electrochemotherapy (ECT) with bleomycin in a patient-derived xenograft (PDX) model based on the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay. The experiments were conducted as monotherapy with either 5 or 10 mM calcium chloride or 1 or 2.5 µg/mL bleomycin in combination with EP or EP alone. CaEP and ECT induced a similar reduction in proliferative activity, neovascularization, and melanocytic expansion. A dose-dependent effect of CaEP triggered a significant induction of necrosis, whereas ECT application of 1 µg/mL bleomycin resulted in a significantly increased apoptotic response compared with untreated tumor grafts. Our results outline the prospective use of CaEP and ECT with bleomycin as an adjuvant treatment of UM, facilitating adequate local tumor control and potentially an improvement in metastatic and overall survival rates. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue A Commemorative Special Issue in Honor of Prof. Jolanta Saczko: Pharmaceutical Science in Electrochemotherapy)
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11 pages, 2380 KiB  
Article
Interplay between Electric Field Strength and Number of Short-Duration Pulses for Efficient Gene Electrotransfer
by Ernestas Urbanskas, Baltramiejus Jakštys, Justinas Venckus, Paulina Malakauskaitė, Ingrida Šatkauskienė, Inga Morkvėnaitė-Vilkončienė and Saulius Šatkauskas
Pharmaceuticals 2024, 17(7), 825; https://doi.org/10.3390/ph17070825 - 23 Jun 2024
Viewed by 983
Abstract
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 [...] Read more.
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. Subsequently, an increase in pulse number had a more negative impact on overall gene electrotransfer by significantly reducing cell viability. Based on our data, the best pulse parameters to transfect CHO cells with the pMax-GFP plasmid were using 5 HV square wave pulses of 1000 V/cm and 2 HV of 1600 V/cm, correspondingly resulting in 55 and 71% of transfected cells and maintaining 79 and 54% proliferating cells. This shows ESOPE-like 100 µs-duration pulse protocols can be used simultaneously to deliver cytotoxic drugs as well as immune response regulating genetically encoded cytokines. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue A Commemorative Special Issue in Honor of Prof. Jolanta Saczko: Pharmaceutical Science in Electrochemotherapy)
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18 pages, 3843 KiB  
Article
Effects of Nanosecond Pulsed Electric Field on Immune Checkpoint Receptors in Melanoma Cells
by Natalia Sauer, Wojciech Szlasa, Anna Szewczyk, Vitalij Novickij, Jolanta Saczko, Dagmara Baczyńska, Małgorzata Daczewska and Julita Kulbacka
Pharmaceuticals 2023, 16(10), 1362; https://doi.org/10.3390/ph16101362 - 27 Sep 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1922
Abstract
Checkpoint molecules such as PD-1, LAG-3, and TIM-3 are currently under extensive investigation for their roles in the attenuation of the immune response in cancer. Various methods have been applied to overcome the challenges in this field. This study investigated the effects of [...] Read more.
Checkpoint molecules such as PD-1, LAG-3, and TIM-3 are currently under extensive investigation for their roles in the attenuation of the immune response in cancer. Various methods have been applied to overcome the challenges in this field. This study investigated the effects of nanosecond pulsed electric field (nsPEF) treatment on the expression of immune checkpoint molecules in A375 and C32 melanoma cells. The researchers found that the nsPEF treatment was able to enhance membrane permeabilization and morphological changes in the cell membrane without being cytotoxic. We found that the effects of nsPEFs on melanoma included (1) the transport of vesicles from the inside to the outside of the cells, (2) cell contraction, and (3) the migration of lipids from inside the cells to their peripheries. The treatment increased the expression of PD-1 checkpoint receptors. Furthermore, we also observed potential co-localization or clustering of MHC class II and PD-1 molecules on the cell surface and the secretion of cytokines such as TNF-α and IL-6. These findings suggest that nsPEF treatment could be a viable approach to enhance the delivery of therapeutic agents to cancer cells and to modulate the tumor microenvironment to promote an antitumor immune response. Further studies are needed to explore the mechanisms underlying these effects and their impacts on the antitumor immune response, and to investigate the potential of nsPEF treatment in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors to improve clinical outcomes for cancer patients. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue A Commemorative Special Issue in Honor of Prof. Jolanta Saczko: Pharmaceutical Science in Electrochemotherapy)
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16 pages, 3311 KiB  
Article
Calcium Electrochemotherapy for Tumor Eradication and the Potential of High-Frequency Nanosecond Protocols
by Eivina Radzevičiūtė-Valčiukė, Augustinas Želvys, Eglė Mickevičiūtė, Jovita Gečaitė, Auksė Zinkevičienė, Veronika Malyško-Ptašinskė, Vytautas Kašėta, Jurij Novickij, Tatjana Ivaškienė and Vitalij Novickij
Pharmaceuticals 2023, 16(8), 1083; https://doi.org/10.3390/ph16081083 - 31 Jul 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2145
Abstract
Calcium electroporation (CaEP) is an innovative approach to treating cancer, involving the internalization of supraphysiological amounts of calcium through electroporation, which leads to cell death. CaEP enables the replacement of chemotherapeutics (e.g., bleomycin). Here, we present a standard microsecond (μsCaEP) and novel high-frequency [...] Read more.
Calcium electroporation (CaEP) is an innovative approach to treating cancer, involving the internalization of supraphysiological amounts of calcium through electroporation, which leads to cell death. CaEP enables the replacement of chemotherapeutics (e.g., bleomycin). Here, we present a standard microsecond (μsCaEP) and novel high-frequency nanosecond protocols for calcium electroporation (nsCaEP) for the elimination of carcinoma tumors in C57BL/6J mice. We show the efficacy of CaEP in eliminating tumors and increasing their survival rates in vivo. The antitumor immune response after the treatment was observed by investigating immune cell populations in tumors, spleens, lymph nodes, and blood, as well as assessing antitumor antibodies. CaEP treatment resulted in an increased percentage of CD4+ and CD8+ central memory T cells and decreased splenic myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC). Moreover, increased levels of antitumor IgG antibodies after CaEP treatment were detected. The experimental results demonstrated that the administration of CaEP led to tumor growth delay, increased survival rates, and stimulated immune response, indicating a potential synergistic relationship between CaEP and immunotherapy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue A Commemorative Special Issue in Honor of Prof. Jolanta Saczko: Pharmaceutical Science in Electrochemotherapy)
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21 pages, 4092 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of the Anticancer Activity of Calcium Ions Introduced into Human Breast Adenocarcinoma Cells MCF-7/WT and MCF-7/DOX by Electroporation
by Katarzyna Bieżuńska-Kusiak, Julita Kulbacka, Anna Choromańska, Nina Rembiałkowska, Olga Michel and Jolanta Saczko
Pharmaceuticals 2023, 16(6), 809; https://doi.org/10.3390/ph16060809 - 30 May 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2076
Abstract
Breast cancer ranks among the top three most common malignant neoplasms in Poland. The use of calcium ion-assisted electroporation is an alternative approach to the classic treatment of this disease. The studies conducted in recent years confirm the effectiveness of electroporation with calcium [...] Read more.
Breast cancer ranks among the top three most common malignant neoplasms in Poland. The use of calcium ion-assisted electroporation is an alternative approach to the classic treatment of this disease. The studies conducted in recent years confirm the effectiveness of electroporation with calcium ions. Electroporation is a method that uses short electrical pulses to create transitional pores in the cell membrane to allow the penetration of certain drugs. The aim of this study was to investigate the antitumor effects of electroporation alone and calcium ion-assisted electroporation on human mammary adenocarcinoma cells that are sensitive (MCF-7/WT) and resistant to doxorubicin (MCF-7/DOX). The cell viability was assessed using independent tests: MTT and SRB. The type of cell death after the applied therapy was determined by TUNEL and flow cytometry (FACS) methods. The expression of Cav3.1 and Cav3.2 proteins of T-type voltage-gated calcium channels was assessed by immunocytochemistry, and changes in the morphology of CaEP-treated cells were visualized using a holotomographic microscope. The obtained results confirmed the effectiveness of the investigated therapeutic method. The results of the work constitute a good basis for planning research at the in vivo level and in the future to develop a more effective and safer method of breast cancer treatment for patients. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue A Commemorative Special Issue in Honor of Prof. Jolanta Saczko: Pharmaceutical Science in Electrochemotherapy)
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