Medical applications of nonthermal atmospheric pressure plasma in dermatology

• Published in: Journal der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft Vol. 16; no. 1; pp. 7 - 13
• Main Authors: Gan, Lu, Zhang, Song, Poorun, Devesh, Liu, Dawei, Lu, Xinpei, He, Mengwen, Duan, Xiaoru, Chen, Hongxiang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.01.2018
• Subjects: Air temperature; Atmospheric pressure; Dermatitis, Atopic - drug therapy; Dermatology; Equipment Design; Medical innovations; Photons; Plasma; Plasma Gases - chemistry; Plasma Gases - therapeutic use; Pruritus - drug therapy; Reactive nitrogen species; Reactive oxygen species; Skin Diseases - drug therapy; Skin Diseases, Infectious - drug therapy; Skin Neoplasms - drug therapy; Wound Healing - drug effects; Wound Infection - drug therapy
• ISSN: 1610-0379; 1610-0387
• DOI: 10.1111/ddg.13373

Summary Plasma is an ionized gas that consists of positively and negatively charged particles, neutral atoms, and photons. Recent developments in plasma sources have made it possible to generate room‐temperature plasma in the “open air”, thus enabling the application of plasma in vivo. Using nonthermal plasma, active agents can be efficiently delivered to target cells without creating thermal damage. Also known as cold atmospheric pressure plasma (CAP), nonthermal atmospheric pressure plasma offers innovative medical applications. In this context, it has also gained wide attention in the field of dermatology. The complex and variable mixture of active agents in plasma – predominantly reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS, RNS) – can control or trigger complex biochemical reactions, achieving the desired effects in a dose‐dependent manner. The objective of the present review is to present potential applications of plasma in dermatology and analyze its potential mechanisms of action.