Multimodal Imaging Techniques to Evaluate the Anticancer Effect of Cold Atmospheric Pressure Plasma

Abstract

Background: Skin cancer is the most frequent cancer worldwide and is divided into non-melanoma skin cancer, including basal cell carcinoma, as well as squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and malignant melanoma (MM). Methods: This study evaluates the effects of cold atmospheric pressure plasma (CAP) on SCC and MM in vivo, employing a comprehensive approach using multimodal imaging techniques. Longitudinal MR and PET/CT imaging were performed to determine the anatomic and metabolic tumour volume over three-weeks in vivo. Additionally, the formation of reactive species after CAP treatment was assessed by non-invasive chemiluminescence imaging of L-012. Histological analysis and immunohistochemical staining for Ki-67, ApopTag®, F4/80, CAE, and CD31, as well as protein expression of PCNA, caspase-3 and cleaved-caspase-3, were performed to study proliferation, apoptosis, inflammation, and angiogenesis in CAP-treated tumours. Results: As the main result, multimodal in vivo imaging revealed a substantial reduction in tumour growth and an increase in reactive species after CAP treatment, in comparison to untreated tumours. In contrast, neither the markers for apoptosis, nor the metabolic activity of both tumour entities was affected by CAP. Conclusions: These findings propose CAP as a potential adjuvant therapy option to established standard therapies of skin cancer.

Devitalization of Glioblastoma Cancer Cells by Non-invasive Physical Plasma: Modulation of Proliferative Signalling Cascades

“…Regarding PCNA, a cell type-specific regulation was found after NIPP treatment. Whereas an increase of PCNA expression was described in human gingival and osteoblast-like cells (59,60), modulation of PCNA was lacking in squamous cell carcinoma and malignant melanoma cells (61). In line with these findings, analysis of PCNA expression in our study also revealed a lack of change in PCNA expression after NIPP treatment of GBM cells.…”

Patient-Derived Human Basal and Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma Tissues Display Apoptosis and Immunomodulation following Gas Plasma Exposure with a Certified Argon Jet

“…This is because tools that are capable of detecting ROS in tissues are generally scarce. Recently, we showed for the first time the direct oxidation of plasma-derived ROS into human subcutaneous tumors grown in immunodeficient mice using a luminescent probe [ 70 ]. In a human head and neck cancer patient, changes in the microcirculation were directly observed after plasma treatment [ 71 ], pointing to a role of fast effectors such as ROS and/or electric fields.…”

Modeling Gas Plasma-Tissue Interactions in 3D Collagen-Based Hydrogel Cancer Cell Cultures

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