Data from: Electrolytic ablation enables cancer cell targeting through pH modulation

Minimally invasive ablation strategies enable locoregional treatment of tumors. Electrolytic ablation functions through the local delivery of direct current, without thermal effects, facilitating enhanced precision. However, the clinical application of electrolytic ablation is limited by an incompletely characterized mechanism of action. Here we show that acid and base production at the electrodes precipitates local pH changes causing the rapid cell death that underlies macroscopic tumor necrosis at pH > 10.6 or < 4.8. The extent of cell death can be modulated by altering the local buffering capacity and antioxidant availability. These data demonstrate that electrolytic ablation is distinguished from other ablation strategies via its ability to induce cellular necrosis by directly altering the tumor microenvironment. These findings may enable further development of electrolytic ablation as a curative therapy for primary, early stage tumors.微创消融术可实现肿瘤的局部区域治疗。电解消融（electrolytic ablation）通过局部递送直流电发挥作用，不产生热效应，有助于提升治疗精度。然而，由于其作用机制尚未完全阐明，电解消融的临床应用受到限制。本研究表明，电极处产生的酸与碱会引发局部pH值变化，当pH值高于10.6或低于4.8时，会导致细胞快速死亡，这正是宏观肿瘤坏死的核心机制。可通过调整局部缓冲能力与抗氧化剂的可获得性，调节细胞死亡的程度。本研究数据证实，电解消融可通过直接改变肿瘤微环境诱导细胞坏死，这一特性使其区别于其他消融策略。上述研究成果可为电解消融作为原发性早期肿瘤根治性治疗手段的进一步研发提供支撑。