A Flexible, Implantable, Bioelectronic Electroporation Device for Targeted Ablation of Seizure Foci in the Mouse Brain

The primary method of treatment for patients suffering from drug-resistant focal-onset epilepsy is resective surgery, which adversely impacts neurocognitive function. Radio frequency (RF) ablation and laser ablation are the methods with the most promise, achieving seizure-free rates similar to resec...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Rita Matta, Zsofia Balogh-Lantos, Zoltan Fekete, Martin Baca, Attila Kaszas, David Moreau, Rodney Philip O’Connor
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-12-01
Series:Sensors
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/1/4
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Summary:The primary method of treatment for patients suffering from drug-resistant focal-onset epilepsy is resective surgery, which adversely impacts neurocognitive function. Radio frequency (RF) ablation and laser ablation are the methods with the most promise, achieving seizure-free rates similar to resection but with less negative impact on neurocognitive function. However, there remains a number of concerns and open technical questions about these two methods of thermal ablation, with the primary ones: (1) heating; (2) hemorrhage and bleeding; and (3) poor directionality. Irreversible electroporation (IRE) is a proven method of focal ablation, which circumvents all three of the primary concerns regarding focal RF and laser ablation. Here, we demonstrate the in vivo application of a flexible implant with organic electrodes for focal ablation of epilepsy foci using high-frequency IRE (H-FIRE) in mice. Our results show that local, targeted ablation is possible in the close neighborhood of the electrode, paving the way for the clinical application in the treatment of focal epilepsy.
ISSN:1424-8220