<unk>  / TTFields was initially described in 2004 as the use of insulated electrodes to apply very-low-intensity, intermediate-frequency<unk>  electrical fields to a target area containing proliferating cells. In preclinical cancer models, TTFields appeared to show selective toxicity to proliferating cells through an antimitotic mechanism. Proteins and protein complexes that are critical for mitosis and could be affected by electric fields include α/β-tubulin and the mitotic septin heterotrimer. These molecules possess an uneven distribution of charged amino acid residues (a dipole), that could prevent their normal orientation and function when exposed to<unk>  electric fields. In principle, this approach could be selective for cancer cells in regions of the body, such as the brain, where the majority of normal cells are non-proliferating. During cell division, a structure called a spindle self-assembles from proteins. The spindle attaches to the 23 chromosomes and pulls the DNA into two new cells. The proteins in the spindle have a positive charge on one end and negative charge on the other end. This division is uncontrolled in cancer cells. The TTFields electric charge prevents the cancer cell from dividing, thereby preventing the cancer from growing and spreading. TFF prevents division and destroys cancers cells with electric fields while sparing healthy tissue. Additionally, emerging evidence suggests<unk>  may disrupt a multitude of biological processes, including DNA repair, cell permeability and immunological responses, to elicit therapeutic effects. Greater mechanistic understanding of TTFields may pave the way for new, more effective TTFields-based therapeutic combinations in the future.
Alternating electric field therapy
Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy
Electric acoustic stimulation
Photothermal therapy
Cytoluminescent therapy
Heat therapy
Ultraviolet light therapy
Microwave thermotherapy