Cold atmospheric plasma treatment selectively targets head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cells

Abstract

The treatment of locoregional recurrence (LRR) of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) often requires a combination of surgery, radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy. Survival outcomes are poor and the treatment outcomes are morbid. Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) is an ionized gas produced at room temperature under laboratory conditions. We have previously demonstrated that treatment with a CAP jet device selectively targets cancer cells using in vitro melanoma and in vivo bladder cancer models. In the present study, we wished to examine CAP selectivity in HNSCC in vitro models, and to explore its potential for use as a minimally invasive surgical approach that allows for specific cancer cell or tumor tissue ablation without affecting the surrounding healthy cells and tissues. Four HNSCC cell lines (JHU-022, JHU-028, JHU-029, SCC25) and 2 normal oral cavity epithelial cell lines (OKF6 and NOKsi) were subjected to cold plasma treatment for durations of 10, 30 and 45 sec, and a helium flow of 20 l/min−1 for 10 sec was used as a positive treatment control. We showed that cold plasma selectively diminished HNSCC cell viability in a dose-response manner, as evidenced by MTT assays; the viability of the OKF6 cells was not affected by the cold plasma. The results of colony formation assays also revealed a cell-specific response to cold plasma application. Western blot analysis did not provide evidence that the cleavage of PARP occurred following cold plasma treatment. In conclusion, our results suggest that cold plasma application selectively impairs HNSCC cell lines through non-apoptotic mechanisms, while having a minimal effect on normal oral cavity epithelial cell lines.

Non-thermal air plasma promotes the healing of acute skin wounds in rats

“…Primarily due to its bactericidal properties, non-thermal plasma (NTP) represents an effective tool for various procedures in human as well as in veterinary medicine, particularly in tissue disinfection and treatment of chronic wounds, such as diabetic foot ulcers, pressure and venous leg ulcers, burns and other skin pathologies with microbial etiology12. Moreover, NTPs have shown their promising application also in cancer therapy34.…”

Plasma applications in medicine and dentistry

“…Utjecaj tretmana CAP-om na stanice tumora intenzivno se istražuje, što je rezultiralo velikim brojem studija u kojima su korišteni različiti izvori CAP-a i mnogobrojne stanič-ne linije izvedene iz različitih tumorskih tkiva 42,43 . Iako mehanizmi učinka tretmana CAP-om na stanice tumora još uvijek nisu u potpunosti razjašnjeni, treba istaknuti nekoliko osnovnih zaključaka/rezultata dosadašnjih studija: 1. tretman CAP-om rezultira povećanom koncentracijom intracelularnih ROS [50][51][52][53] . U tablici 1 prikazani su osnovni rezultati odabranih in vitro studija na humanim tumorima.…”

Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Jet as an Accelerator of Tooth Bleaching

“…Both ROS and RNS have the potential to react with biological materials while their temperature remains near room temperature. Because the APP jet can be applied to desired sites in open space without damaging the surrounding tissues, it has recently attracted much interest in biomedicine due to its potential applications in bacteria inactivation, tissue sterilization, blood coagulation, wound healing, suppressing the melanoma cancer cell and treatment of corneal infections (4)(5)(6)(7)(8). Also, in dentistry the plasma technology has shown great potential (9).…”