Cell Biology - Plasma Medicine

Non-thermal plasma has been recognized as a promising tool across a vast variety of biomedical applications, with the potential to create novel therapeutic methods. However, the understanding of the molecular mechanisms behind non-thermal plasma cellular effects remains a significant challenge. In this study, we show how two types of different non-thermal plasmas induce cell death in mammalian cell cultures via the formation of multiple intracellular reactive oxygen/nitrogen species [1-3]. Our results showed a discrepancy in the superoxide accumulation and lysosomal activity in response to air and helium plasma, suggesting that triggered signaling cascades might be grossly different between different plasmas. In addition, the effects of ozone, a considerable component of non-thermal plasma, have been simultaneously evaluated and have revealed much faster and higher cytotoxic effects. Our findings offer novel insight into plasma-induced cellular responses, and provide a basis for better controlled biomedical applications.

Our study shows that the antibacterial efficacy [3] of air plasma was comparable to ozone [1], whereas helium plasma possessed significantly lower antibacterial effects. Furthermore, ozone exhibits dramatically higher toxic effects on living cells than air or helium plasma. Indeed, the extent of cytotoxicity may grossly differ between fibroblasts and phenotypically distinct tumor cell lines. Moreover, despite having the same cytotoxicity upon air and helium plasma treatment, our findings imply that the triggered signaling cascades may be grossly different.

http://www.ceskatelevize.cz/ct24/ekonomika/308391-pocet-patentu-v-cesku-stoupa-vetsina-prihlasek-vsak-neuspeje/

          

References
<sub>1. O. Lunov, et al., Cell death induced by ozone and various non-thermal plasmas: therapeutic perspectives and limitations.
Sci. Rep. (2014) 4: 7129.
2. V. Zablotskii, et al., Multijet atmospheric plasma device for biomedical applications. Plasma Medicine (2011) 1: 135.
3. O. Lunov, et al., Non-thermal plasma mills bacteria: Scanning electron microscopy observations. Appl. Phys. Lett. (2015) 106: 053703.</sub>