Plasma-activated medium and its medical and biological applications

Summary form only given. We have previously shown that solutions irradiated with non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma (we termed such solutions plasma-activated medium or PAM) have anti-tumor effects on glioblastoma brain tumor cells, ovarian, gastric, pancreatic cancer cells, and so on. These discoveries have broadened the ways of plasma cancer therapy. Indirect plasma treatments using PAM as well as direct plasma treatments might be promising tools for cancer therapy. Plasma which consists of electrons, ions, radicals, lights, and so on interacts with air to produce oxygen, nitrogen, hydroxyl radicals and nitric oxide in gas phase. These reactive species or plasma itself interact with solutions in liquid phase to produce hydrogen peroxide, nitrites, nitrates, and so on. Thus, PAM is a mixture of products irradiated with plasma and induces reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) in cells. We are investigating signaling mechanisms in cells treated with PAM. We have previously shown that PAM down-regulated survival and proliferation signaling network to induce apoptosis on glioblastoma brain tumor cells. Signaling affected by PAM depends on types of PAM and cells. Our goal is to understand the mechanisms in a unified manner.