{"entity":{"id":"il12-electroporation","kind":"technology","name":"Intratumoural gene electrotransfer (IL-12 plasmid)","aka":[],"tldr":"Intratumoural gene electrotransfer injects a plasmid carrying the interleukin-12 gene into a tumour and pushes it into cells with electric pulses, so this T-cell-activating cytokine is made locally instead of at the toxic doses intravenous IL-12 needed. It produced responses with pembrolizumab in anti-PD-1-resistant melanoma, but the sponsor's programmes have stalled.","summary":"Tavokinogene telseplasmid with electroporation produced systemic responses when combined with pembrolizumab in anti-PD-1-refractory melanoma, and Moffitt ran a neoadjuvant study with nivolumab (NCT04526730, completed). The sponsor's TNBC study (NCT03567720) has unknown status, a head and neck study was terminated, and the company's programmes stalled. The concept, local cytokine expression without systemic toxicity, remains attractive and is being pursued with other constructs.","status":"phase-2","asOf":"2026-09-08","links":[{"label":"Neoadjuvant Tavo plus nivolumab (NCT04526730)","url":"https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04526730"}],"tags":["frontier"],"related":[],"cancers":["melanoma","tnbc"],"sections":["immunotherapy","devices"],"technologies":["cytokine-therapy","irreversible-electroporation","checkpoint-inhibitor","oncolytic-virus"],"targets":[],"drugs":[],"companies":[],"institutions":[],"pathways":[],"terms":[],"trials":["nct06915025"],"people":[],"bottlenecks":[],"keyPapers":[],"journals":[],"dependsOn":[],"notes":[],"principle":"Short electric pulses transiently permeabilise cell membranes, letting plasmid DNA enter tumour cells that then secrete IL-12 locally, recruiting and activating T cells.","strengths":["Avoids the systemic toxicity that killed intravenous IL-12","Produces responses in uninjected lesions","Cheap plasmid manufacturing"],"limitations":["Needs accessible lesions and a specialised applicator","Sponsor programmes have stalled","No randomised efficacy data"]},"route":"/technologies/il12-electroporation/","neighbours":{"cancer":[{"id":"melanoma","kind":"cancer","name":"Melanoma","route":"/cancers/melanoma/"},{"id":"tnbc","kind":"cancer","name":"Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC)","route":"/cancers/tnbc/"}],"section":[{"id":"devices","kind":"section","name":"Devices & Physical Therapies","route":"/fronts/devices/"},{"id":"immunotherapy","kind":"section","name":"Immunotherapy","route":"/fronts/immunotherapy/"}],"technology":[{"id":"cytokine-therapy","kind":"technology","name":"Cytokines & engineered cytokines","route":"/technologies/cytokine-therapy/"},{"id":"checkpoint-inhibitor","kind":"technology","name":"Immune checkpoint inhibitors","route":"/technologies/checkpoint-inhibitor/"},{"id":"irreversible-electroporation","kind":"technology","name":"Irreversible electroporation (NanoKnife)","route":"/technologies/irreversible-electroporation/"},{"id":"oncolytic-virus","kind":"technology","name":"Oncolytic viruses","route":"/technologies/oncolytic-virus/"}],"trial":[{"id":"nct06915025","kind":"trial","name":"Phase 3 Trial Evaluating the Safety & Efficacy of IMNN-001 Administered in Combination w/ Standard NACT & Adjuvant Chemotherapy in Newly Diagnosed Pat","route":"/trials/nct06915025/"}],"pathway":[{"id":"immune-desert-exclusion","kind":"pathway","name":"Cold tumours: immune deserts and exclusion","route":"/pathways/immune-desert-exclusion/"}],"roadmap":[{"id":"devices-roadmap","kind":"roadmap","name":"Devices and physical therapies roadmap: heat and light → electric fields and focused sound → drug-releasing implants","route":"/roadmaps/devices-roadmap/"}]}}