Non-thermal Biocompatible Plasma Research Articles

Improvement of transdermal absorption rate by nonthermal biocompatible atmospheric pressure plasma

Nonthermal biocompatible plasma (NBP) is a promising option for improving medication absorption into the human skin. Currently, most plasma devices for cosmetics employ a floating-electrode plasma source for treating the skin. Human skin serves as the ground electrode in the floating-electrode plasma discharge, and discharge occurs between the skin and electrodes of the device. In this in vitro study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of NBP on the skin permeation of niacinamide. We have quantified the transdermal absorption rates of niacinamide in both untreated skin and skin treated with NBP for a duration of 10 s. The absorption of niacinamide for both without and with NBP treatment was observed until 12 h incubation time. Without plasma treatment, the human skin exhibited stable and low transdermal absorption of niacinamide up to 12 h. However, the NBP treatment significantly increased the transdermal absorption of niacinamide from 0.5 h to 6 h and continuously increased skin penetration over a duration of more than 12 h incubation period. The obtained results suggest that NBP-treated human skin showed a 60-fold higher penetration rate than non-treated skin. The increased penetration rate of niacinamide can be mainly attributed to plasmaporation subsequent to NBP treatment. The findings of this study demonstrate that NBP treatment results in remarkable skin permeability, making it a promising candidate for both cosmetic and pharmaceutical delivery applications.

Effect of Plasma-Treated Water with Magnesium and Zinc on Growth of Chinese Cabbage.

Nonthermal biocompatible plasma (NBP) is an emerging technology in the field of agriculture to boost plant growth. Plasma is a source of various gaseous reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) and has a promising role in agricultural applications, as the long-lived RONS (H2O2, NO2-, NO3-) in liquid activate signaling molecules in plant metabolism. Plasma-treated water (PTW) has an acidic pH of around 3 to 4, which may be detrimental to pH-sensitive plants. Innovative techniques for producing PTW with a pH value of 6 to 7 under neutral circumstances are desperately required to broaden the application range of NBP in agriculture. Furthermore, Pak Choi (Brassica campestris L.) is a Brassicaceae family green vegetable that has yet to be investigated for its response to NBP. In this work, we proposed an alternate method for neutralizing the pH of PTW by immersing metal ions (Mg2+ and Zn2+) in the PTW and observing its effect on Pak Choi. After synthesizing PTW with MECDBD, we analyzed germination rate and growth parameters, then seedlings for 42 days to show physiological, biochemical, and molecular levels. The germination rate was observed to be higher with PTW and more efficient when metal ions were present. Seedling length and germination rates were dramatically boosted when compared to DI water irrigation. Because of the increased chlorophyll and protein content, the plants responded to the availability of nitrogen by generating highly green leaves. Furthermore, we observed that PTW increases the expression of NR genes and GLR1 genes, which are further increased when metals are submerged in the PTW. Furthermore, PTW and PTW with metals reduced ABI5 and CHO1 which is associated with a growth inhibitor. According to this study, nonthermal plasma might be utilized to significantly improve seed germination and seedlings' development.

Nonthermal Biocompatible Plasma Inactivation of Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2: Prospects for Future Antiviral Applications.

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has placed a massive impact on global civilization. Finding effective treatments and drugs for these viral diseases was crucial. This paper outlined and highlighted key elements of recent advances in nonthermal biocompatible plasma (NBP) technology for antiviral applications. We searched for papers on NBP virus inactivation in PubMed ePubs, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. The data and relevant information were gathered in order to establish a mechanism for NBP-based viral inactivation. NBP has been developed as a new, effective, and safe strategy for viral inactivation. NBP may be used to inactivate viruses in an ecologically friendly way as well as activate animal and plant viruses in a number of matrices. The reactive species have been shown to be the cause of viral inactivation. NBP-based disinfection techniques provide an interesting solution to many of the problems since they are simply deployable and do not require the resource-constrained consumables and reagents required for traditional decontamination treatments. Scientists are developing NBP technology solutions to assist the medical community in dealing with the present COVID-19 outbreak. NBP is predicted to be the most promising strategy for battling COVID-19 and other viruses in the future.

Plasma bioscience for medicine, agriculture and hygiene applications.

Nonthermal biocompatible plasma (NBP) sources operating in atmospheric pressure environments and their characteristics can be used for plasma bioscience, medicine, and hygiene applications, especially for COVID-19 and citizen. This review surveyed the various NBP sources, including a plasma jet, micro-DBD (dielectric barrier discharge) and nanosecond discharged plasma. The electron temperatures and the plasma densities, which are produced using dielectric barrier discharged electrode systems, can be characterized as 0.7 ~ 1.8 eV and (3–5) × 1014–15 cm−3, respectively. Herein, we introduce a general schematic view of the plasma ultraviolet photolysis of water molecules for reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) generation inside biological cells or living tissues, which would be synergistically important with RONS diffusive propagation into cells or tissues. Of the RONS, the hydroxyl radical [OH] and hydrogen peroxide H2O2 species would mainly result in apoptotic cell death with other RONS in plasma bioscience and medicines. The diseased biological protein, cancer, and mutated cells could be treated by using a NBP or plasma activated water (PAW) resulting in their apoptosis for a new paradigm of plasma medicine.

A Non-thermal Biocompatible Plasma-Modified Chitosan Scaffold Enhances Osteogenic Differentiation in Bone Marrow Stem Cells.

Non-thermal biocompatible plasma (NBP) was considered as an efficient tool in tissue engineering to modify the surface of biomaterials. Three-dimensional chitosan scaffolds have been extensively used in different ways because it holds some remarkable properties, including biodegradability and biocompatibility. In this study, we evaluated the osteogenic potential of NBP-treated chitosan scaffolds using two different plasma sources: a dielectric barrier discharge (NBP-DBD) and a soft jet (NBP-J). The surface modification of the scaffold was evaluated using scanning electron microscopy. For osteogenic differentiation of cells, proliferation and differentiation were tested by using bone marrow-derived stem cells (BMSCs). We observed that cell viability using NBP-DBD and NBP-J treated chitosan scaffolds yielded significant improvements in cell viability and differentiation. The results obtained with MTT and live/dead assays showed that NBP-modified scaffold increases cell metabolic by MTT assay and live/dead assay. It also observed that the NBP treatment is more effective at 5 min with DBD and was selected for further investigations. Enhanced osteogenic differentiation was observed using NBP-treated scaffolds, as reflected by increased alkaline phosphatase activity. Our findings showed that NBP is an innovative and beneficial tool for modifying chitosan scaffolds to increase their activity, making them suitable as biocompatible materials and for bone tissue engineering.

Non-Thermal Biocompatible Plasma Jet Induction of Apoptosis in Brain Cancer Cells.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a highly malignant and rapidly advancing astrocytic brain tumor in adults. Current therapy possibilities are chemotherapy, surgical resection, and radiation. The complexity of drug release through the blood-brain barrier, tumor reaction to chemotherapy, and the inherent resistance of tumor cells present challenges. New therapies are needed for individual use or combination with conventional methods for more effective treatment and improved survival for patients. GBM is difficult to treat because it grows quickly, spreads finger-shaped tentacles, and creates an irregular margin of normal tissue surrounding the tumor. Non-thermal biocompatible plasma (NBP) has recently been shown to selectively target cancer cells with minimal effects on regular cells, acting by generating reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS). We applied a soft jet plasma device with a syringe shape to U87 MG cells and astrocytes. Our results show that NBP-J significantly inhibits cell proliferation and changes morphology, induces cell cycle arrest, inhibits the survival pathway, and induces apoptosis. Our results indicate that NBP-J may be an efficient and safe clinical device for brain cancer therapy.

Inactivation of Infectious Bacteria Using Nonthermal Biocompatible Plasma Cabinet Sterilizer.

Nonthermal, biocompatible plasma (NBP) is a promising unique state of matter that is effective against a wide range of pathogenic microorganisms. This study focused on a sterilization method for bacteria that used the dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) biocompatible plasma cabinet sterilizer as an ozone generator. Reactive oxygen species play a key role in inactivation when air or other oxygen-containing gases are used. Compared with the untreated control, Escherichia coli (E. coli), Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), and Salmonella typhimurium (sepsis) were inhibited by approximately 99%, or were nondetectable following plasma treatment. Two kinds of plasma sterilizers containing six- or three-chamber cabinets were evaluated. There was no noticeable difference between the two configurations in the inactivation of microorganisms. Both cabinet configurations were shown to be able to reduce microbes dramatically, i.e., to the nondetectable range. Therefore, our data indicate that the biocompatible plasma cabinet sterilizer may prove to be an appropriate alternative sterilization procedure.

Non-Thermal Bio-Compatible Plasma Induces Osteogenic Differentiation of Human Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cells With ROS-Induced Activation of MAPK

The application of non-thermal bio-compatible plasma (NBP) for stem cell differentiation is promising in tissue engineering. However, the differentiation efficiency of NBP treatment on various types of human tissue-derived stem cells and the underlying mechanisms is yet understood. This study is the first time to investigate the role of NBP in inducing differentiation and its potential molecular mechanism by using human bone marrow-derived stem cells (hBMSCs) and human periodontal ligament-derived stem cells (hPDLSCs). Our results showed that NBP promote osteogenic differentiation of hPDLSCs more effectively than hBMSCs under the same treatment condition, indicating a tissue-dependent manner of NBP interacts with stem cells. Furthermore, an increase of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production of hPDLSCs and antioxidant enzymes activation was observed after NBP treatment. Particularly, mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) level was also increased and in consistent with ROS level increase. Taken together, this study revealed that with NBP induction, hPDLSCs is a more suitable stem cell source than hBMSCs for bone regeneration and tissue engineering, and ROS-induced activation of MAPKs are possibly involved in the osteogenic differentiation process.

Regulation of Redox Homeostasis by Nonthermal Biocompatible Plasma Discharge in Stem Cell Differentiation.

Recently, a growing body of evidence has shown the role of reactive species as secondary messengers in cell proliferation and differentiation, as opposed to the harmful metabolism byproducts that they were previously solely recognized as. Thus, the balance of intracellular reduction-oxidation (redox) homeostasis plays a vital role in the regulation of stem cell self-renewal and differentiation. Nonthermal biocompatible plasma (NBP) has emerged as a novel tool in biomedical applications. Recently, NBP has also emerged as a powerful tool in the tissue engineering field for the surface modification of biomaterial and the promotion of stem cell differentiation by the regulation of intracellular redox biology. NBP can generate various kinds of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS), which may play the role of the second passenger in the cell signaling network and active antioxidant system in cells. Herein, we review the current knowledge on mechanisms by which NBP regulates cell proliferation and differentiation through redox modification. Considering the importance of redox homeostasis in the regulation of stem cell differentiation, understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms involved will provide important new insights into NBP-induced stem cell differentiation for tissue engineering.

Promotion of osteogenic differentiation by non-thermal biocompatible plasma treated chitosan scaffold

Non-thermal biocompatible plasma (NBP) has recently emerged as an attractive tool for surface modification of biomaterials in tissue engineering. Three dimensional chitosan scaffolds have been widely used in bone tissue engineering due to biodegradable and biocompatible properties. The present study aimed to evaluate osteogenic potential of NBP treated chitosan scaffold. The surface characteristics of scaffolds were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), cell proliferation and differentiation was tested with osteoprogenitor cell line MC3T3-E1. The results show that NBP modified scaffold increase cell metabolic by MTT assay and live/dead assay. More importantly, we evidenced enhancement of osteogenic differentiation on NBP treated scaffolds by an increase of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, high degree of extracellular mineralization and up-regulated osteogenic marker genes expression level. The findings in our study highlighted NBP as the innovative method to modified chitosan scaffold and to fine-tuning the scaffold a more suitable and beneficial biomaterial for in vivo bone tissue engineering and clinical bone defects therapies.

The role of non-thermal atmospheric pressure biocompatible plasma in the differentiation of osteoblastic precursor cells, MC3T3-E1.

Non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma is ionized matter, composed of highly reactive species that include positive ions, negative ions, free radicals, neutral atoms, and molecules. Recent reports have suggested that non-thermal biocompatible plasma (NBP) can selectively kill a variety of cancer cells, and promote stem cell differentiation. However as of yet, the regulation of proliferation and differentiation potential of NBP has been poorly understood.Here, we investigated the effects of NBP on the osteogenic differentiation of precursor cell lines of osteoblasts, MC3T3 E1 and SaOS-2. For in vitro osteogenic differentiation, precursor cell lines were treated with NBP, and cultured with osteogenic induction medium. After 10 days of treatment, the NBP was shown to be effective in osteogenic differentiation in MC3T3 E1 cells by von Kossa and Alizarin Red S staining assay. Real-time PCR was then performed to investigate the expression of osteogenic specific genes, Runx2, OCN, COL1, ALP and osterix in MC3T3 E1 cells after treatment with NBP for 4 days. Furthermore, analysis of the protein expression showed that NBP treatment significantly reduced PI3K/AKT signaling and MAPK family signaling. However, p38 controlled phosphorylation of transcription factor forkhead box O1 (FoxO1) that related to cell differentiation with increased phosphorylated p38. These results suggest that non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma can induce osteogenic differentiation, and enhance bone formation.

Effects of atmospheric-pressure non-thermal bio-compatible plasma and plasma activated nitric oxide water on cervical cancer cells

Atmospheric-pressure non-thermal bio-compatible plasma is a partially ionized gas with electrically charged particles. Previous studies demonstrated that dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma could induce apoptosis of various cancer cells, in particular demonstrating the selective cytotoxicity of cancer cells over normal cells. Therefore, DBD plasma can be considered as a potential cancer treatment method for clinical applications. We previously developed a microwave jet plasma system, producing nitric oxide called nitric oxide-plasma activated water (NO-PAW). In this study, we explored the effects of NO-PAW on a cervical cancer cell line, in comparison with DBD plasma. The cytotoxicity results showed that the treatment of HeLa cell with DBD for 4 minutes and 7 μM concentration of NO-PAW could reach almost IC60. For the apoptosis assay, 4 minutes treatment of DBD could induce 7% apoptotic effect, whereas 7 μM NO-PAW could induce 18% apoptotic effect. In addition, we assumed that both DBD plasma and NO-PAW could induce HeLa cell apoptosis by facilitating an accumulation of intracellular reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS). Although further detail on the molecular signal pathway is still needed, DBD and NO-PAW could become promising applications for effective and safe clinical trials for cancer therapy.

플라즈마 바이오과학 및 의학

Nonthermal bio-compatible plasma (bioplasma) sources and their characteristics operating at atmospheric pressure could be used for biological cell interactions, especially for plasma bioscience and medicines. The electron temperatures and plasma densities of this bioplasma are measured to be 0.7 ~ 1.8 eV and , respectively. Herein, we introduced general schematic view of the plasma-initiated ultraviolet photolysis of water inside the biological solutions or living tissue for the essential generation mechanism of the reactive hydroxyl radical [OH] and hydrogen peroxide [], which may result in apoptotic cell death in plasma bioscience and medicines. Further, we surveyed the various nonthermal bioplasma sources including plasma jet, micro-DBD (dielectric barrier discharge) and nanosecond discharged plasma. The diseased biological protein, cancer, and mutated cells could be treated by these bioplasma sources or bioplasma activated water to result in their apoptosis for new paradigm of plasma bioscience and medicines.