The cellular ROS-scavenging function, a key factor determining the specific vulnerability of cancer cells to cold atmospheric plasma in vitro

TL;DR

This study reveals that the ability of cancer cells to scavenge ROS, particularly H2O2, determines their vulnerability to cold atmospheric plasma, highlighting the antioxidant system's role in CAP's anti-cancer effects.

Contribution

It uncovers the link between cancer cells' H2O2 scavenging capacity and their resistance to CAP, providing insight into the mechanism of CAP's selective anti-cancer activity.

Findings

Cancer cells with faster H2O2 clearance are more resistant to CAP.

Antioxidant systems in cancer cells influence CAP sensitivity.

H2O2 consumption correlates with CAP cytotoxicity.

Abstract

Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) has shown its promising application in cancer treatment both in vitro and in vivo. However, the anti-cancer mechanism is still largely unknown. CAP may kill cancer cells via triggering the rise of intracellular ROS, DNA damage, mitochondrial damage, or cellular membrane damage. While, the specific vulnerability of cancer cells to CAP has been observed, the underlying mechanism of such cell-based specific vulnerability to CAP is completely unknown. Here, through the comparison of CAP treatment and H2O2 treatment on 10 different cancer cell lines in vitro, we observed that the H2O2 consumption speed by cancer cells was strongly correlated to the cytotoxicity of CAP treatment on cancer cells. Cancer cells that clear extracellular H2O2 more quickly are more resistant to the cytotoxicity of CAP treatment. This finding strongly indicates that the anti-oxidant system in cancer cells play a key role in the specific vulnerability of cancer cells to CAP treatment in vitro.