Cold atmospheric plasma activated deionized water using helium, argon, and nitrogen as feeding gas for cancer therapy

TL;DR

This study investigates cold atmospheric plasma activated deionized water using different gases, finding helium-based plasma produces water with higher reactive species that effectively induce cancer cell apoptosis.

Contribution

It introduces a novel method of activating deionized water with cold atmospheric plasma using helium, argon, and nitrogen for potential cancer therapy applications.

Findings

Helium plasma activates water with higher ROS levels.

Helium-activated water induces stronger cancer cell apoptosis.

Reactive species concentration varies with feeding gas.

Abstract

Plasma activated medium, containing reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS), has been used for cancer treatment as an indirect treatment method. Here we report cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) activated deionized (DI) water using helium (He), argon (Ar), and nitrogen (N2) as feeding gas for the cancer therapy. Basic characteristics of CAP activated DI water with different feeding gases were diagnosed and the effects of three solutions on the breast cancer cells and gastric cancer cells were also recorded. Our findings show that DI water treated by CAP with He feeding gas has a much stronger effect on apoptosis in precultured breast cancer cells and gastric cancer cells. These results are attributed to the higher concentration of ROS generated in CAP-activated DI water using He as feeding gas.