Cell treatment and surface functionalization using a miniature atmospheric pressure glow discharge plasma torch

Abstract

A miniature atmospheric pressure glow discharge plasma torch was used to detach cells from a polystyrene Petri dish. The detached cells were successfully transplanted to a second dish and a proliferation assay showed the transplanted cells continued to grow. Propidium iodide diffused into the cells, suggesting that the cell membrane had been permeabilized, yet the cells remained viable 24 h after treatment. In separate experiments, hydrophobic, bacteriological grade polystyrene Petri dishes were functionalized. The plasma treatment reduced the contact angle from 93 • to 35 • , and promoted cell adhesion. Two different torch nozzles, 500 µm and 150 µm in internal diameter, were used in the surface functionalization experiments. The width of the tracks functionalized by the torch, as visualized by cell adhesion, was approximately twice the inside diameter of the nozzle. These results indicate that the miniature plasma torch could be used in biological micropatterning, as it does not use chemicals like the present photolithographic techniques. Due to its small size and manouvrability, the torch also has the ability to pattern complex 3D surfaces.

Non-thermal atmospheric-pressure plasma can influence cell adhesion molecules on HaCaT-keratinocytes

“…fibroblasts) without causing cell death (necrosis), non-thermal plasma may lead to applications like skin (wound) and caries treatment (10,11). However, after treatment of adherent Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO-K1) cells (fibroblasts) or human hepatocytes (HepG2) in culture with plasma, instantaneous detachment from the culture plate and loss of cell-cell interaction was observed (12)(13)(14). These effects could be a consequence of alterations in the expression of cell adhesion molecules because of the treatment with physical plasma, but had not been analysed in detail.…”

Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Jet for Medical Therapy: Plasma Parameters and Risk Estimation

“…However, there is an additional huge potential of low temperature plasma application for therapeutic fields, which will be based on selective, at least partially non-lethal, possibly stimulating plasma effects on living cells and tissue [8][9][10][11].…”

Atmospheric-pressure plasma sources: Prospective tools for plasma medicine

“…Existing plasma surgical technologies such as coagulation [13] or ablation [14,15] are mainly based on lethal plasma effects on living systems. But there is an additional huge potential of low-temperature plasmas for selective, at least partially nonlethal, possibly stimulating plasma effects on living cells and tissue [4,[16][17][18]. For example, the plasma-based treatment of chronic wounds can enable a selective antimicrobial (antiseptic) activity without damaging the surrounding tissue, combined with a controlled stimulation of tissue regeneration.…”