OpenEP: an open-source simulator for electroporation-based tumor treatments

Abstract

AbstractElectroporation (EP), the increase of cell membrane permeability due to the application of electric pulses, is a universal phenomenon with a broad range of applications. In medicine, some of the foremost -based tumor treatments are electrochemotherapy (ECT), irreversible electroporation, and gene electrotransfer (GET). The electroporation phenomenon is explained as the formation of cell membrane pores when a transmembrane cell voltage reaches a threshold value. Predicting the outcome of an -based tumor treatment consists of finding the electric field distribution with an electric threshold value covering the tumor (electroporated tissue). Threshold and electroporated tissue are also a function of the number of pulses, constituting a complex phenomenon requiring mathematical modeling. We present , an open-source specific purpose simulator for -based tumor treatments, modeling among other variables, threshold, and electroporated tissue variations in time. Distributed under a free/libre user license, allows the customization of tissue type; electrode geometry and material; pulse type, intensity, length, and frequency. facilitates the prediction of an optimal -based protocol, such as ECT or GET, defined as the critical pulse dosage yielding maximum electroporated tissue with minimal damage. displays a highly efficient shared memory implementation by taking advantage of parallel resources; this permits a rapid prediction of optimal -based treatment efficiency by pulse number tuning.