Targeting glioblastomas: An in silico testing of Quantum Molecular Resonance technology
We collaborated on the design of a medical device for treating brain tumors (gliomablastomas) using Quantum Molecular Resonance (QMR), an innovative therapy that works with high frequencies low intensity electric currents. The core challenge was to optimize the delivery of the therapeutic electric field to the tumor while simultaneously verifying that any potential thermal effects remained negligible. Using COMSOL Multiphysics®, we developed a 3D biophysical model coupling heat transfer and electric current physics. The simulation precisely quantified the electric current density distribution in the tumor and confirmed the minimal thermal impact on surrounding brain tissue. This provided crucial data to optimize the device design, maximize the intended therapeutic effect, and ensure patient safety.
The challenge: Maximizing efficacy and safety in brain tumor treatment
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[1] Catanzaro, D., Milani, G., Bozza, A. et al. Selective cell cycle arrest in glioblastoma cell lines by quantum molecular resonance alone or in combination with temozolomide. Br J Cancer 127, 824–835 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41416-022-01865-9
[2] D. B. Fogel, “Factors associated with clinical trials that fail and opportunities for improving the likelihood of success: A review”, Contemp Clin Trials Commun, vol. 11, pp. 156–164, ago. 2018, doi: 10.1016/j.conctc.2018.08.001.
The 3D simulation provided a comprehensive and quantitative insight that could not have been achieved otherwise, allowing the client to make design decisions based on precise data.
Visualization of the therapeutic field: The 2D maps, extracted from the 3D model, showed exactly how different insulation configurations focused or dispersed the electric current density, allowing for the optimization of the non-thermal therapeutic effect on the tumor.
Thermal safety verification: The simulation precisely quantified the minor temperature increases in the tumor and surrounding healthy tissues. This data was crucial to confirm the non-thermal nature of the therapy and ensure the selected design would operate safely, with any thermal effects being negligible.
Cost & time reduction: By virtually validating the design in a realistic 3D environment, the need to build and test multiple physical prototypes was eliminated, dramatically accelerating the development cycle.
Guidance for future developments: The 3D model now serves as a "digital twin" that can be adapted to test future device improvements, continuing to ensure both efficacy and safety.
Results and benefits: Data-Driven design for greater precision
To address this challenge, we built a 3D multiphysics model in COMSOL® that volumetrically replicated the complex interaction of the device's electric field with the brain tissue.
Geometric model & materials: A 3D simplified geometry of the brain was created, representing key tissues with their specific electrical and thermal properties: scalp, skull, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), grey matter, and white matter. The glioma was modeled within the white matter, reflecting a realistic clinical scenario.
Coupled physics: A coupled model was implemented that simultaneously solved for:
Electric currents: To calculate how the therapeutic current is distributed throughout the 3D volume, which is the basis of the QMR treatment.
Bioheat transfer: To model how the electric current generates a minimal amount of heat (Joule heating) and how this heat dissipates. This was critical to verify the non-thermal nature of the therapy and ensure all temperature changes were well within safe, negligible limits.
Analysis & visualization: To clearly analyze the results from the 3D model, 2D cross-sectional planes were extracted from key regions of interest. This allowed for the generation of detailed contour maps and plots to precisely visualize both the electric current distribution (efficacy) and the temperature profile (safety) at the interface between the tumor and healthy tissue.
The multiphysics solution: A 3D Bio-Thermoelectric model
Glioblastoma (GBM) is one of the most aggressive malignant tumors, known for its ability to infiltrate surrounding brain tissue. Despite a standard approach of surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, the prognosis for patients remains devastatingly poor, with high rates of recurrence and a median survival of just 14 months [1]. This urgent clinical need has driven innovation towards new therapeutic strategies.
This is the critical context for the pioneering work being done by the innovators at Telea with their non-thermal QMR therapy. They needed to understand a critical design variable: the thickness of the insulating material on the treatment catheters. The right design is crucial for focusing the therapeutic electric field on the target tissue. Just as importantly, they needed to scientifically validate that the treatment adheres to its non-thermal principle. While the goal is to avoid heat, any invasive electrical application requires a rigorous safety assessment to rule out unintended temperature increases [1]. Creating physical prototypes to test these variations is extremely costly, time-consuming, and fails to provide a clear picture of the electrical and thermal distributions deep inside the tissue [2].