Non-Thermal Biocompatible Plasma Jet Induction of Apoptosis in Brain Cancer Cells

Abstract

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a highly malignant and rapidly advancing astrocytic brain tumor in adults. Current therapy possibilities are chemotherapy, surgical resection, and radiation. The complexity of drug release through the blood-brain barrier, tumor reaction to chemotherapy, and the inherent resistance of tumor cells present challenges. New therapies are needed for individual use or combination with conventional methods for more effective treatment and improved survival for patients. GBM is difficult to treat because it grows quickly, spreads finger-shaped tentacles, and creates an irregular margin of normal tissue surrounding the tumor. Non-thermal biocompatible plasma (NBP) has recently been shown to selectively target cancer cells with minimal effects on regular cells, acting by generating reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS). We applied a soft jet plasma device with a syringe shape to U87 MG cells and astrocytes. Our results show that NBP-J significantly inhibits cell proliferation and changes morphology, induces cell cycle arrest, inhibits the survival pathway, and induces apoptosis. Our results indicate that NBP-J may be an efficient and safe clinical device for brain cancer therapy.

Gas Plasma Exposure of Glioblastoma Is Cytotoxic and Immunomodulatory in Patient-Derived GBM Tissue

“…Akter and colleagues have also observed an increase in the G1 to G2 ratio of the cell cycle following gas plasma-exposed glioblastoma cells [36], as observed in our study. The authors also found GBM cells to be more sensitive to gas plasma exposure than non-malignant astrocytes [61]. Albeit our comparison cell line HaCaT derives from the skin and is less suitable as the control, its greater sensitivity to the gas plasma treatment is in line with previous findings that some tumor cell types are more sensitive to this non-malignant cell type while others are less sensitive [62], exemplifying that such comparisons are often relative.…”

Plasma bioscience for medicine, agriculture and hygiene applications

“…NBP has been reported to have a selective killing effect on targeted cancer cells with minimal effects on regular cells that act by generating reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS). In previous study, we assessed the effects of a non-thermal air soft jet plasma on the U87 brain cancer by using the physicochemical and biological (PCB) correlation between the RONS cascade and MAPK/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, which resulted in apoptosis [175,176]. The results showed that the soft jet plasma significantly inhibited cell proliferation, induced cell cycle arrest, inhibited survival pathway and induced apoptosis pathway in U87 cells (Fig.…”

Microwave Radiation and the Brain: Mechanisms, Current Status, and Future Prospects

“…Recently, nonthermal biocompatible atmospheric-pressure plasma (i.e., cold plasma) has provided a new horizon for various prospective biomedical applications [ 137 , 138 , 139 , 140 , 141 , 142 ], and represents a promising technique for the treatment of cancers and tumors without harming normal cells or tissues. Over the past few decades, “plasma medicine” has been used for its anticancer properties [ 143 , 144 , 145 , 146 , 147 , 148 ], including one clinical study [ 149 ].…”

“…Nonthermal plasma has a wide range of applications in modern age in several areas [ 11 , 151 , 152 , 153 ]. It comprises multiple energies in the form of electrons, ions, and reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) [ 154 , 155 , 156 , 157 ], for which cocktails of the latter have been shown to have apoptotic properties in cancer cells [ 140 , 158 ]. As cancer cells maintain different mechanisms to normal cells, it has been reported that ROS uptake by cancer cells induces apoptosis via intrinsic or extrinsic pathways in brain tumors.…”