Cold Plasma Cancer Therapy

Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) has emerged as a possible new modality for cancer treatment. This book provides a comprehensive introduction into fundamentals of the CAP and plasma devices used in plasma medicine. An analysis of the mechanisms of plasma interaction with cancer and normal cells including description of possible mechanisms of plasma selectivity is included. Recent advances in the field, the primary challenges and future directions are presented.

Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) emerges as a possible new modality for cancer treatment. This book provides a comprehensive introduction into fundamentals of the CAP and plasma devices used in plasma medicine. An analysis of the mechanisms of plasma interaction with cancer and normal cells including description of possible mechanisms of plasma selectivity is included. Recent advances in the field, the primary challenges and future directions are presented.

Non-equilibrium plasma (or low-temperature plasma, LTP) offers a chemically rich medium without the need for high power and elevated temperatures. This unique characteristic has made LTP very useful for various industrial and biomedical applications where thermal effects are not desirable. In addition, the relative simplicity of the design of sources capable of generating non-equilibrium plasma at atmospheric pressure makes LTP a very attractive technology that can accomplish the same or better results than much more complex and expensive approaches. This book describes various low-temperature plasma sources and some of their environmental and biomedical applications. The plasma sources covered in this book include low-temperature plasma jets which are novel devices that can launch low-power, low-temperature plasma plumes in ambient air. These plasma plumes can accurately and reliably be aimed at a surface to be treated or at a biological target such as cells and tissues. The application of these plasma jets in medicine, including in cancer therapy, are thoroughly discussed in this book. The contents of this book will appeal to engineers, medical experts, academics, and students who work with plasma technology.

This book, written by key researchers in the field, provides a comprehensive analysis and overview of the state of the art of plasma-based cancer therapy. Recent progress in atmospheric plasmas has led to non-thermal or cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) devices with ion temperatures close to room temperature. In contrast to many existing anti-cancer approaches, CAP is a selective anti-cancer modality which has demonstrated significant potential in cancer therapy. Written by a global, cross-disciplinary group of leading researchers, this book covers basic theory, generation, diagnostics, and simulation of cold atmospheric plasma, as well as their clinical application in cancer therapy, immunotherapy, and future outlook, giving a complete picture of the field. It is meant for a broad audience, from students to engineers and scientists, who are interested in the emerging world of plasma medical applications. It presents recent advances, primary challenges, and future directions of this exciting, cutting-edge field.

This second edition provides an up-to-date description of the fast-growing field of plasma-based cancer therapy, now including a detailed description of non-invasive modality, new in vivo work and adaptive plasma written by experts in these areas.

In the last decade, research on cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) has significantly advanced our understanding of the effect of CAP on cancer cells and their potential for cancer treatment. This effect is due to the reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) created by plasma. This has been demonstrated for different cancer cell lines and the first clinical trials showed promising results. In addition, plasma could be combined with other treatments--such as immunotherapy--to boost its anticancer activity. The addition of new research tools to study the response of cancer cells to CAP--such as 3D in vitro, in ovo, and in vivo models and in silico approaches--as well as the use of -OMICS technologies could aid in unravelling the underlying mechanisms of CAP in cancer treatment. In order to progress towards widespread clinical application of CAP, an integrated study of the multidimensional effect of CAP in cancer treatment is essential. In this book, reviews and original research papers are published that provide new insights into the mechanisms of cold atmospheric plasma in cancer treatment, based on in vitro and in vivo experiments, clinical studies, as well as computer modeling.

Cold atmospheric plasma is an auspicious new candidate in cancer treatment. Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) is a partially ionized gas in which the ion temperature is close to room temperature. It contains electrons, charged particles, radicals, various excited molecules and UV photons. These various compositional elements have the potential to inhibit cancer cell activity whilst doing no harm to healthy cells. Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and lethal primary brain tumor in adults; treatment including surgery, radio- and chemotherapy remains palliative for most patients as a cure remains elusive. The successful combination of the standard chemotherapeutic temozolomide (TMZ) and CAP treatment features synergistic effects even in resistant glioma cells. In particular in glioma therapy, CAP could offer an innovative approach allowing specific cancer cell / tumor tissue inhibition without damaging healthy cells. Thus CAP is a promising candidate for combination therapy especially for patients suffering from GBMs showing TMZ resistance.