USF Researchers Create Tumor-Targeting Treatment for Pets with Future Human Testing in Mind

At the University of South Florida (USF), researchers have developed a new cancer treatment currently helping pets, with human trials expected in the near future. This Tampa-originated technique targets tumors and holds potential.

USF's medical engineering specialists, Dr. Richard Heller and Dr. Mark Jaroszeski, are at the forefront. Over more than thirty years, they've investigated electric-field drug delivery. Heller started this research in the early 90s, and Jaroszeski joined soon after as a graduate student.

They initiated U.S. clinical trials using chemotherapy on solid tumors. Later, they made significant advances in gene electrotransfer research, leading the first global trial with electric fields for DNA-based treatments.

The technology applies electric fields and heat to temporarily open tumors, allowing treatments to bypass traditional chemotherapy and surgery. LifePulse Bioscience uses low-energy pulses to open cancer cells for direct drug access. Heat and tissue impedance checks enhance effectiveness.

It's adaptable for different tumor sizes and types, making it applicable for both veterinary and potential human cancers, like skin and internal tumors.

Trials have been ongoing since 2004, and some tumors have reportedly "melted away," according to Heller. Animal studies, supported by a $2 million NIH grant, are currently focused on dog melanoma. This technology prompts the immune system to combat other cancer cells.

Heller and entrepreneur Gary Strange joined forces in 2019 to commercialize the technology. After encountering challenges with European technology, Strange collaborated with Heller, resulting in VetPulse 2000, now used in veterinary medicine. Strange told USF News, “After about 10 months beating my head against a wall with that, I met Dr. Heller. And that’s when everything changed.”

VetPulse 2000 reportedly reduces or eliminates tumors in pets, such as horses. Dr. Erin Roof from Animal Cancer Care Clinic states, “The whole process takes about an hour, usually just one or two treatments. Side effects are minimal — maybe some redness or flakiness around the site — and most patients go home and feel fantastic.”

Success in animal treatment supports FDA submissions. Heller says outcomes from dog trials might pave the way for human trials by 2026. He told FOX 13, “We already have clinicians talking with us who want to use this technology in human studies. Our next steps are completing the veterinary data, building more systems and moving through the FDA process.”