Synergistic effects of local temperature enhancements on cellular responses in the context of high-intensity, ultrashort electric pulses.

Results of self-consistent analyses of cells show the possibility of temperature increases at membranes in response to a single nanosecond, high-voltage pulse, at least over small sections of the membrane. Molecular Dynamics simulations indicate that such a temperature increase could facilitate poration, which is one example of a bio-process at the plasma membrane. Our study thus suggests that the use of repetitive high-intensity voltage pulses could open up possibilities for a host of synergistic bio-responses involving both thermal and electrically driven phenomena.