Combination therapy with HSP90 inhibitors and NanoPulse stimulation synergistically impedes hepatocellular carcinoma and breast cancer growth in mice.

Christiana Dimitropoulou, Gagan Thangjam, Brittany P Lassiter, Teresa Hooker, Ruben M L Colunga Biancatelli, John D Catravas, Stephen J Beebe

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Article in Scientific reports, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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5 · Who and what money

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7 authors.

Christiana DimitropoulouFrank Reidy Research Center for Bioelectrics, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, 23508, USA.

Gagan ThangjamFrank Reidy Research Center for Bioelectrics, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, 23508, USA.

Brittany P LassiterFrank Reidy Research Center for Bioelectrics, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, 23508, USA.

Teresa HookerFrank Reidy Research Center for Bioelectrics, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, 23508, USA.

Ruben M L Colunga BiancatelliFrank Reidy Research Center for Bioelectrics, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, 23508, USA. rcolunga@odu.edu.

John D Catravas *Frank Reidy Research Center for Bioelectrics, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, 23508, USA.

Stephen J Beebe *Frank Reidy Research Center for Bioelectrics, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, 23508, USA.

Funding

Old Dominion Research Foundation and Pulse Bioscience N/APam and Rich Nuccitelli Foundation ODU SEED

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Nanopulse Stimulation (NPS) represents a promising and innovative therapeutic approach to cancer. Heat shock protein 90 Inhibitors (HI), on the other hand, are currently under investigation in multi-drug chemotherapy trials for various types of malignancies. Here we present results of a combination therapy employing two HSP90 inhibitors (AUY-922 or 17-AAG) and NPS to ablate cancer growth. We firstly tested the inhibitors alone or in combination with NPS in vitro in N1S1 cells, and then into two models of orthotopic Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) and 4T1-Luc breast cancer. NPS + HI reduced tumor growth more than the sum of HI and NPS administered alone, promoting cell death through DNA-damage, PARP activation and caspase-3-mediated apoptosis. Furthermore, HI and NPS, when combined, were used in lower doses than those required to achieve similar results, thus reducing the risk of potential side effects. By acting synergistically, combination therapy with HSP90 Inhibitors and NanoPulse Stimulation acts through distinct mechanisms, demonstrating a potent treatment that results in synergistic tumor mass reduction.

Indexed as

BenzoquinonesBreast NeoplasmsCarcinoma, HepatocellularHSP90 Heat-Shock ProteinsLactams, MacrocyclicLiver NeoplasmsResorcinolsAnimalsAntineoplastic AgentsApoptosisCell Line, TumorCell ProliferationFemaleHumansMiceAntineoplastic AgentsBenzoquinonesHSP90 Heat-Shock ProteinsLactams, MacrocyclicResorcinolstanespimycinAnti-cancerAUY-922Heat shock proteinHSP90 inhibitorMulti-drug approachNanoPulse stimulationNPSnsPEF

Identifiers

PMID42209797

DOI10.1038/s41598-026-55633-3

PMCPMC13448814

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.