New Understanding of How Cold Atmospheric Plasma Treat Cancer

The chemical factors such as reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) generated by cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) have been regarded as the main factors to cause cellular changes and cell death. These factors work mainly through apoptosis pathway during the CAP treatment in vitro and in vivo. Utilising new treatment approach that eliminate RONS, we observed the strong killing effect on melanoma and glioblastoma cells by the physical mechanisms. Such CAP treatment causes a novel cell death on the cancer cells. This new model of cell death is characterized by the leaking of bulk water from distinct points on the cellular membrane with the subsequent shrinkage of the cytoplasm. This discovery builds a foundation to use the CAP as an anti-cancer tool independent of the reactive species. Such a new observation may also have wide applications in other branches of medicine.