# Rapid Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy for Detection of High-Frequency Irreversible Electroporation Ablation Growth in a Rodent Glioma Model

> **NIH NIH P01** · WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES · 2021 · $141,793

## Abstract

Diversity Supplement Project Summary
The most common and aggressive malignant brain tumor, glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), demonstrates a 5-
year survival rate of only 5.6%. Difficulties arising in the treatment of GBM include the inability of large molecular
agents to permeate through the blood-brain barrier (BBB); migration of highly invasive GBM cells beyond the
solid/visible tumor margin; and gross, microscopic, and genetic intratumor heterogeneity. To circumvent issues
associated with standard of care and to improve the versatility of electroporation-based therapies for intracranial
applications, our group has developed a novel tumor ablation strategy which utilizes bursts of bipolar PEFs to
nonthermally ablate tumors. This second-generation strategy, termed high-frequency IRE (H-FIRE),
demonstrates focal tissue ablation with a surrounding zone of BBB disruption (BBBD) that extends centimeters
beyond the nonthermal lesion. Despite major progress in development of electroporation-based nonthermal
ablation therapies, several challenges and gaps in knowledge exist. The determination of an ablation/pulsing
endpoint is not currently defined and is reliant on postoperative imaging with MRI and ultrasound techniques.
Therefore, building off the parent P01 grant, this Diversity Supplement proposal seeks to conduct a preliminary
investigation of H-FIRE and the proposed Fourier Analysis SpecTroscopy to ablate neoplastic tissue in an
orthotopic rodent GBM tumor model and determine a pulsing endpoint. This project proposal has 2 specific aims:
Specific Aim 1: Preliminary investigation of FAST impedance measurements to determine a pulsing
endpoint for H-FIRE ablation. H-FIRE therapy will be applied to ablate GBM tumor tissue in an orthotopic
rodent GBM tumor model. It is known that the H-FIRE ablation volume reaches a saturation following a set
number of bursts applied. Therefore, we will utilize the newly developed Fourier Analysis SpecTroscopy, a rapid
electrical impedance spectroscopy technique, to continually monitor changes in tissue impedance throughout H-
FIRE therapy. Specific Aim 2: Preliminary investigation of combinatorial H-FIRE therapy with QUAD-CTX.
This pilot study will elucidate the effects of a molecular adjuvant to enhance glioma treatment with H-FIRE. H-
FIRE-mediated BBB disruption facilitates enhanced drug delivery to infiltrative glioma cells invading healthy brain
parenchyma. An F98 rodent glioma model, similar to that of Aim 2, will be employed. H-FIRE therapy will be
administered and bioluminescent imaging used to quantify the tumor bioluminescence follow stand-alone H-
FIRE therapy and combinatorial H-FIRE with newly developed QUAD-CTX.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10310562
- **Project number:** 3P01CA207206-05S1
- **Recipient organization:** WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES
- **Principal Investigator:** Waldemar Debinski
- **Activity code:** P01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $141,793
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2017-08-17 → 2023-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10310562

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10310562, Rapid Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy for Detection of High-Frequency Irreversible Electroporation Ablation Growth in a Rodent Glioma Model (3P01CA207206-05S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10310562. Licensed CC0.

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