Anti‐Cancer Therapies of 21st Century: Novel Approach to Treat Human Cancers Using Cold Atmospheric Plasma

Abstract

Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) has just recently been showing promising anti-cancer activities supported by ability to induce cell death via apoptosis and cell cycle arrest leading to tumor cell destruction in vitro, and in vivo. Several studies showed the ability of CAP-activated media to modulate the tumor cell environment a link between the generation of reactive oxygen species/reactive nitrogen species and cancer cell death following CAP treatment. Targeting cancer cells through ROS-mediated mechanisms has become an attractive strategy for effective and selective cancer treatment by exploiting the aberrant redox characteristics of cancer cells. These effects support the potential direct (CAP) and indirect (CAP-activated media) applications for adjuvant anti-cancer therapeutics, in a combination with the chemo-, radio-, and nano-therapies.

Cell migration and adhesion of a human melanoma cell line is decreased by cold plasma treatment

“…apoptosis) in several tumor cells [17]. Applying plasmagenerated ROS, an induction of apoptosis was shown in melanocytic tumors in mice [18], in p53-mutated cancer cells [19], and in head and neck carcinoma in vivo [20] as well as in several other models [21]. Most studies have focused on tumor cell death after cold plasma treatment.…”

Plasma-induced selectivity in bone cancer cells death

“…This discovery was reported in vitro and in vivo for different non-thermal plasmas, where studies were conducted on a variety of cancer types 6 including melanoma 7 , cervical cancer 8 , hepatocellular carcinoma, breast carcinoma 9 , papilloma, colon cancer, glioblastoma, etc. 6 .…”

Microplasma Array Patterning of Reactive Oxygen and Nitrogen Species onto Polystyrene

“…Atmospheric-pressure plasmas interacting with air and/or water vapor provide a rich source of RONS [62], and could play an important role in oxidation-reduction biology and medicine as previously reviewed [47]. It has been experimentally shown how RONS might intervene in cellular signaling processes to target the destruction of bacteria and or cancerous cells [68][69][70][71][72]. It is now widely accepted that atmospheric-pressure plasmas can be used to deliver RONS into solution or onto a soft medium (e.g., on an agar plate or on living tissue) to regulate cellular functions.…”