The Mechanisms of Action of Tumor Treating Fields

Abstract

Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields), a new modality of cancer treatment, are electric fields transmitted transdermally to tumors. The FDA has approved TTFields for the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme and mesothelioma, and they are currently under study in many other cancer types. While anti-mitotic effects were the first recognized biological anti-cancer activity of TTFields, data have shown that tumor treating fields achieve their anti-cancer effects through multiple mechanisms of action. TTFields therefore have the ability to be useful for many cancer types in combination with many different treatment modalities. Here, we review the current understanding of TTFields and their mechanisms of action.

Genome-wide analyses of lung cancer after single high-dose radiation at five time points (2, 6, 12, 24, and 48 h)

“…Tumor treating fields (TTFields) is a new modality of cancer treatment. The treatment is based on transdermally transmitting alternating current (AC) electric fields at 100-400 kHz to tumors with two orthogonal transducer arrays (Moser et al, 2022). It can cause DNA damage and replication stress (Karanam et al, 2020).…”

Investigation of sponge medium for efficient concurrent tumor treating fields and radiotherapy for glioblastomas

“…18 Therefore, based on the anti-mitotic mechanism, the presence of TTFields with a frequency of 200 kHz can prevent septin proteins from assembling into spindle filaments, disrupt mitotic function and confound cell transition from the metaphase to anaphase of GBM tumor cells by dielectrophoretic effects, and thus inhibit the progression of GBM tumor cells without affecting other normal cells. 19 In addition, previous preclinical studies (FF-14 phase 3 clinical trials) have confirmed that TTFields are beneficial for improving progression-free, overall and long-term survival of patients with the newly diagnosed GBMs when applied after chemoradiotherapy along with TMZ. [20][21][22] Due to the appealing therapy efficacy, TTFields were approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2015 and recognized as an advanced effective treatment modality with low toxicity property by the American Society of Clinical Oncology.…”

Pyroptosis in glioma: Current management and future application

“…In 2011, the FDA granted approval for the utilization of tumor‐treating fields (TT fields) in the treatment of high‐grade malignant gliomas and malignant mesothelioma 120,121 . The utilization of noninvasive low‐intensity, intermediate frequency, alternating electric fields is employed to disrupt mitotic spindles, resulting in chromosome missegregation and apoptosis 121 . Chen et al.…”