Search Results

Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
  • Item
    Plasma-derived reactive species shape a differentiation profile in human monocytes
    (Basel : MDPI, 2019) Freund, Eric; Moritz, Juliane; Stope, Matthias; Seebauer, Christian; Schmidt, Anke; Bekeschus, Sander
    Background: Monocyte-derived macrophages are key regulators and producers of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS/RNS). Pre-clinical and clinical studies suggest that cold physical plasma may be beneficial in the treatment of inflammatory conditions via the release of ROS/RNS. However, it is unknown how plasma treatment affects monocytes and their differentiation profile. Methods: Naïve or phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA)-pulsed THP-1 monocytes were exposed to cold physical plasma. The cells were analyzed regarding their metabolic activity as well as flow cytometry (analysis of viability, oxidation, surface marker expression and cytokine secretion) and high content imaging (quantitative analysis of morphology. Results: The plasma treatment affected THP-1 metabolisms, viability, and morphology. Furthermore, a significant modulation CD55, CD69, CD271 surface-expression and increase of inflammatory IL1β, IL6, IL8, and MCP1 secretion was observed upon plasma treatment. Distinct phenotypical changes in THP-1 cells arguing for a differentiation profile were validated in primary monocytes from donor blood. As a functional outcome, plasma-treated monocytes decreased the viability of co-cultured melanoma cells to a greater extent than their non-treated counterparts. Conclusions: Our results suggest plasma-derived ROS/RNS shaped a differentiation profile in human monocytes as evidenced by their increased inflammatory profile (surface marker and cytokines) as well as functional outcome (tumor toxicity). © 2019 by the authors.
  • Item
    Activation of murine immune cells upon co-culture with plasma-treated B16F10 melanoma cells
    (Basel : MDPI, 2019) Rödder, Katrin; Moritz, Juliane; Miller, Vandana; Weltmann, Klaus-Dieter; Metelmann, Hans-Robert; Gandhirajan, Rajesh; Bekeschus, Sander
    Recent advances in melanoma therapy increased median survival in patients. However, death rates are still high, motivating the need of novel avenues in melanoma treatment. Cold physical plasma expels a cocktail of reactive species that have been suggested for cancer treatment. High species concentrations can be used to exploit apoptotic redox signaling pathways in tumor cells. Moreover, an immune-stimulatory role of plasma treatment, as well as plasma-killed tumor cells, was recently proposed, but studies using primary immune cells are scarce. To this end, we investigated the role of plasma-treated murine B16F10 melanoma cells in modulating murine immune cells' activation and marker profile. Melanoma cells exposed to plasma showed reduced metabolic and migratory activity, and an increased release of danger signals (ATP, CXCL1). This led to an altered cytokine profile with interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and CCL4 being significantly increased in plasma-treated mono- and co-cultures with immune cells. In T cells, plasma-treated melanoma cells induced extracellular signal-regulated Kinase (ERK) phosphorylation and increased CD28 expression, suggesting their activation. In monocytes, CD115 expression was elevated as a marker for activation. In summary, here we provide proof of concept that plasma-killed tumor cells are recognized immunologically, and that plasma exerts stimulating effects on immune cells alone. © 2019 by the authors.
  • Item
    Medical Gas Plasma—A Potent ROS-Generating Technology for Managing Intraoperative Bleeding Complications
    (Basel : MDPI, 2022) Miebach, Lea; Poschkamp, Broder; van der Linde, Julia; Bekeschus, Sander
    Cold medical gas plasmas are under pre-clinical investigation concerning their hemostatic activity and could be applied for intra-operative bleeding control in the future. The technological leap innovation was their generation at body temperature, thereby causing no thermal harm to the tissue and ensuring tissue integrity. This directly contrasts with current techniques such as electrocautery, which induces hemostasis by carbonizing the tissue using a heated electrode. However, the necrotized tissue is prone to fall, raising the risk of post-operative complications such as secondary bleedings or infection. In recent years, various studies have reported on the ability of medical gas plasmas to induce blood coagulation, including several suggestions concerning their mode of action. As non-invasive and gentle hemostatic agents, medical gas plasmas could be particularly eligible for vulnerable tissues, e.g., colorectal surgery and neurosurgery. Further, their usage could be beneficial regarding the prevention of post-operative bleedings due to the absence or sloughing of eschar. However, no clinical trials or individual healing attempts for medical gas plasmas have been reported to pave the way for clinical approvement until now, despite promising results in experimental animal models. In this light, the present mini-review aims to emphasize the potential of medical gas plasmas to serve as a hemostatic agent in clinical procedures. Providing a detailed overview of the current state of knowledge, feasible application fields are discussed, and possible obstacles are addressed.
  • Item
    Gas Plasma Technology Augments Ovalbumin Immunogenicity and OT-II T Cell Activation Conferring Tumor Protection in Mice
    (Weinheim : Wiley-VCH, 2021) Clemen, Ramona; Freund, Eric; Mrochen, Daniel; Miebach, Lea; Schmidt, Anke; Rauch, Bernhard H.; Lackmann, Jan‐Wilm; Martens, Ulrike; Wende, Kristian; Lalk, Michael; Delcea, Mihaela; Bröker, Barbara M.; Bekeschus, Sander
    Reactive oxygen species (ROS/RNS) are produced during inflammation and elicit protein modifications, but the immunological consequences are largely unknown. Gas plasma technology capable of generating an unmatched variety of ROS/RNS is deployed to mimic inflammation and study the significance of ROS/RNS modifications using the model protein chicken ovalbumin (Ova vs oxOva). Dynamic light scattering and circular dichroism spectroscopy reveal structural modifications in oxOva compared to Ova. T cells from Ova-specific OT-II but not from C57BL/6 or SKH-1 wild type mice presents enhanced activation after Ova addition. OxOva exacerbates this activation when administered ex vivo or in vivo, along with an increased interferon-gamma production, a known anti-melanoma agent. OxOva vaccination of wild type mice followed by inoculation of syngeneic B16F10 Ova-expressing melanoma cells shows enhanced T cell number and activation, decreased tumor burden, and elevated numbers of antigen-presenting cells when compared to their Ova-vaccinated counterparts. Analysis of oxOva using mass spectrometry identifies three hot spots regions rich in oxidative modifications that are associated with the increased T cell activation. Using Ova as a model protein, the findings suggest an immunomodulating role of multi-ROS/RNS modifications that may spur novel research lines in inflammation research and for vaccination strategies in oncology.
  • Item
    Medical Gas Plasma Jet Technology Targets Murine Melanoma in an Immunogenic Fashion
    (Weinheim : Wiley-VCH, 2020) Bekeschus, Sander; Clemen, Ramona; Nießner, Felix; Sagwal, Sanjeev Kumar; Freund, Eric; Schmidt, Anke
    Medical technologies from physics are imperative in the diagnosis and therapy of many types of diseases. In 2013, a novel cold physical plasma treatment concept was accredited for clinical therapy. This gas plasma jet technology generates large amounts of different reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS). Using a melanoma model, gas plasma technology is tested as a novel anticancer agent. Plasma technology derived ROS diminish tumor growth in vitro and in vivo. Varying the feed gas mixture modifies the composition of ROS. Conditions rich in atomic oxygen correlate with killing activity and elevate intratumoral immune-infiltrates of CD8+ cytotoxic T-cells and dendritic cells. T-cells from secondary lymphoid organs of these mice stimulated with B16 melanoma cells ex vivo show higher activation levels as well. This correlates with immunogenic cancer cell death and higher calreticulin and heat-shock protein 90 expressions induced by gas plasma treatment in melanoma cells. To test the immunogenicity of gas plasma treated melanoma cells, 50% of mice vaccinated with these cells are protected from tumor growth compared to 1/6 and 5/6 mice negative control (mitomycin C) and positive control (mitoxantrone), respectively. Gas plasma jet technology is concluded to provide immunoprotection against malignant melanoma both in vitro and in vivo.