Effects of cold atmospheric plasma generated in deionized water in cell cancer therapy

TL;DR

This study explores the use of cold atmospheric plasma generated in deionized water as a novel indirect method for cancer therapy, demonstrating its potential to induce apoptosis in cancer cells through reactive species.

Contribution

It introduces a new application of plasma-treated water in cancer therapy and investigates its effects on breast and gastric cancer cells.

Findings

Plasma treatment time influences apoptosis efficiency.

Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species levels correlate with cell death.

30-minute plasma treatment yields the most significant apoptosis effect.

Abstract

Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) was shown to affect cells not only directly, but also indirectly by means of plasma pre-treated solution. This study investigated a new application of CAP generated in deionized (DI) water for the cancer therapy. In our experiments, the CAP solution was generated in DI water using helium as carrier gas. We report on the effects of this plasma solution in breast (MDA-MD-231) and gastric (NCI-N87) cancer cells. The results revealed that apoptosis efficiency was dependent on the plasma exposure time and on the levels of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS and RNS). The plasma solution that resulted from 30-minute treatment of DI water had the most significant effect in the rate of apoptosis.