Electrokinetic dispersion of a cancer chemotherapeutic drug for the treatment of solid tumours

Compromised turnout vascularisation presents a significant challenge to chemotherapeutic-based treatment of solid tumours. In this study we use subtle electric field characteristics to facilitate electrokinetic movement of a cancer chemotherapeutic agent in an ionically complex environment. We demonstrate that such an approach can be exploited to facilitate the electrokinetic movement of camptothecin from a peritumoural site through otherwise relatively impermeable turnout tissues. Here we demonstrate enhanced antitumour effects using this approach in a pre-clinical model for solid tumours and suggest one possible therapeutic application of the approach in the treatment of lung cancer. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.