Low-dose plasma treatment: A new hope for cancer therapy?

A recent study led by Prof. HAN Wei at the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has shown that low-dose Cold Atmospheric Plasma (CAP) treatment could effectively slow down tumor growth. 

The research, published in Advanced Science, suggests that CAP could be a promising new way to treat cancer, offering a potential alternative to traditional treatments. 

CAP, a type of ionized gas, has already gained attention for its ability to selectively target tumor cells without harming surrounding healthy tissue. While it has shown great promise in killing cancer cells, one challenge has been how deeply CAP can penetrate into tumors, as the active ingredients quickly lose their effectiveness in deeper tissues. 

In this study, researchers developed a new way to measure the effects of CAP on tumors. They proposed an evaluation methodology for the biological effect of CAP in vivo by detecting the levels of oxidative damage and cell death in continuous depth layers in tumor tissues, which would help to figure out the actual effective depth of CAP treatment. 

“Even low doses of CAP were effective in slowing down tumor growth,” said Dr. NIE Lili, a member of the team. 

CAP damages the mitochondria, which are the powerhouses of the cell. This damage messes up the cell's energy production and causes oxidative stress. The lack of energy and stress on the cells prevent them from dividing properly. This leads to a form of cell death called "mitotic catastrophe," which stops the tumor from growing.

“Our works provided valuable theoretical support and research methods for further study and investigation of the anti-tumor effect of CAP treatment,” said Prof. HAN Wei.