Electrophysical Setup for Drug Delivery through Biological Membranes

Abstract

Hearing impairments and vestibular disorders pose a significant problem, as they severely diminish a person’s quality of life. An urgent task is the development of methods for targeted drug delivery without disrupting biological barriers. One approach is the induced migration of ions via an electric field, including ionophoresis and electroporation. Ionophoresis is applicable only for ionized substances, while electroporation increases the permeability of cell membranes. To overcome the round window membrane of the inner ear, less invasive approaches using electropermeabilization, electroosmotic, and electrophoretic drug movement are necessary. In this work, an electrophysical setup for combined electroporation-ionophoresis effect on biological membranes is described. There was carried out experimental study to evaluate the electrophysical parameters that ensure high viability of cells in model biological membranes of the human round window. Preliminary results on the membranes permeability were also obtained.