Impact of ROS Generated by Chemical, Physical, and Plasma Techniques on Cancer Attenuation

Abstract

For the last few decades, while significant improvements have been achieved in cancer therapy, this family of diseases is still considered one of the deadliest threats to human health. Thus, there is an urgent need to find novel strategies in order to tackle this vital medical issue. One of the most pivotal causes of cancer initiation is the presence of reactive oxygen species (ROS) inside the body. Interestingly, on the other hand, high doses of ROS possess the capability to damage malignant cells. Moreover, several important intracellular mechanisms occur during the production of ROS. For these reasons, inducing ROS inside the biological system by utilizing external physical or chemical methods is a promising approach to inhibit the growth of cancer cells. Beside conventional technologies, cold atmospheric plasmas are now receiving much attention as an emerging therapeutic tool for cancer treatment due to their unique biophysical behavior, including the ability to generate considerable amounts of ROS. This review summarizes the important mechanisms of ROS generated by chemical, physical, and plasma approaches. We also emphasize the biological effects and cancer inhibition capabilities of ROS.

Mutant p53-Associated Molecular Mechanisms of ROS Regulation in Cancer Cells

“…High levels of ROS can activate pro-survival pathways, leading to DNA damage, genomic instability, metabolic alterations, and drug resistance [19]. In cancer cells, intracellular ROS level undergoes a sophisticated regulation by multiple mechanisms (detailed in Section 2.1) and, therapeutically, their excess may sensitize tumor cells to chemotherapy [21]. In this regard, drug treatments usually trigger a further increase of ROS that may exhaust the cellular antioxidant capacity, thus leading to cancer cell death.…”

Cancer-Selective Treatment of Cancerous and Non-Cancerous Human Cervical Cell Models by a Non-Thermally Operated Electrosurgical Argon Plasma Device

“…The generation of radicals within the gas, liquid, and solid interfaces are known to be the main triggers of CAP effects primarily linked to inhibition of cell proliferation and cell death [14][15][16]19]. Interestingly, by using electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy, our research group recently showed that MABS was characterized by an 18-fold higher increase of total spin density generated within 10 s of treatment when compared to that of the CAP device kINPen med [19][20][21].…”

“…CAP treatment led to sufficient inhibition of cancer cell growth, interestingly, without tissue swelling, inflammation, or pain. Growing evidence points towards reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) as being primarily responsible for CAP-triggered cell mechanisms and cell death [13][14][15][16]. Other highly reactive components of CAP include diverse charged particles, free radicals, and ultraviolet and infrared radiation [17].…”

Cul5-type Ubiquitin Ligase KLHDC1 Contributes to the Elimination of Truncated SELENOS Produced by Failed UGA/Sec Decoding

“…SELENOS-knockdown cell lines grew faster than control cells, and SELENOS(U188C) expression did not affect cell growth. As ROS can initiate and prevent cancer development (Mitra et al, 2019), there might be a relationship between the increased U2OS cell growth and the reduced ROS level. Together, these findings indicated the importance of mature SELENOS for ROS production and cell growth.…”