Biological Effects of Cold Atmospheric Pressure Plasma on Skin Cancer

• Published in: Plasma chemistry and plasma processing Vol. 41; no. 2; pp. 507 - 529
• Main Authors: Terefinko, Dominik, Dzimitrowicz, Anna, Bielawska-Pohl, Aleksandra, Klimczak, Aleksandra, Pohl, Pawel, Jamroz, Piotr
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.03.2021; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Atmospheric models; Atmospheric pressure; Biological activity; Biological effects; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Classical Mechanics; Inorganic Chemistry; Literature reviews; Mechanical Engineering; Plasmas; Pressure effects; Review Article; Skin cancer; Reactive oxygen species; Non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma; Melanoma; Reactive nitrogen species
• ISSN: 0272-4324; 1572-8986
• DOI: 10.1007/s11090-020-10150-7

Cold atmospheric pressure plasmas (CAPPs) increasingly attracted scientific attention in the field of medicine, especially oncology. Because of the surface action of CAPPs, treatment of skin cancers appears to be one of the most promising CAPP applications. This novel controlled CAPP application in the cancer treatment is associated with the selective anticancer characteristics of CAPP. In this literature review, the latest achievements in the field of plasma medicine related to effects of CAPP on the skin cancers were presented. Additionally, typical methods for CAPP generation and application towards skin cancer models were discussed. For a better understanding of complex interactions between reactive species (generated during CAPP operation) and cellular components, biological processes in various experimental models were analyzed. Furthermore, biological impacts of reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species on skin cancer models was evaluated. Finally, prospects for receiving a clinically applicable product and cooperating with conventional therapies or drugs used in skin cancer management were debated.