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Now showing 1 - 9 of 9
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    Cell stimulation versus cell death induced by sequential treatments with pulsed electric fields and cold atmospheric pressure plasma
    (San Francisco, California, US : PLOS, 2018) Steuer, Anna; Wolff, Christina M.; von Woedtke, Thomas; Weltmann, Klaus-Dieter; Kolb, Juergen F.
    Pulsed electric fields (PEFs) and cold atmospheric pressure plasma (CAP) are currently both investigated for medical applications. The exposure of cells to PEFs can induce the formation of pores in cell membranes and consequently facilitate the uptake of molecules. In contrast, CAP mainly acts through reactive species that are generated in the liquid environment. The objective of this study was to determine, if PEFs combined with plasma-treated cell culture medium can mutually reinforce effects on viability of mammalian cells. Experiments were conducted with rat liver epithelial WB-F344 cells and their tumorigenic counterpart WB-ras for a direct comparison of non-tumorigenic and tumorigenic cells from the same origin. Viability after treatments strongly depended on cell type and applied field strength. Notably, tumorigenic WB-ras cells responded more sensitive to the respective treatments than non-tumorigenic WB-F344 cells. More cells were killed when plasma-treated medium was applied first in combination with treatments with 100-μs PEFs. For the reversed treatment order, i.e. application of PEFs first, the combination with 100-ns PEFs resulted in a stimulating effect for non-tumorigenic but not for tumorigenic cells. The results suggest that other mechanisms, besides simple pore formation, contributed to the mutually reinforcing effects of the two methods.
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    Investigating the Mutagenicity of a Cold Argon-Plasma Jet in an HET-MN Model
    (San Francisco, California, US : PLOS, 2016) Kluge, Susanne; Bekeschus, Sander; Bender, Claudia; Benkhai, Hicham; Sckell, Axel; Below, Harald; Stope, Matthias B.; Kramer, Axel; Yousfi, Mohammed
    Objective: So-called cold physical plasmas for biomedical applications generate reactive oxygen and nitrogen species and the latter can trigger DNA damage at high concentrations. Therefore, the mutagenic risks of a certified atmospheric pressure argon plasma jet (kINPen MED) and its predecessor model (kINPen 09) were assessed. Methods: Inner egg membranes of fertilized chicken eggs received a single treatment with either the kINPen 09 (1.5, 2.0, or 2.5 min) or the kINPen MED (3, 4, 5, or 10 min). After three days of incubation, blood smears (panoptic May-Grünwald-Giemsa stain) were performed, and 1000 erythrocytes per egg were evaluated for the presence of polychromatic and normochromic nuclear staining as well as nuclear aberrations and binucleated cells (hen’s egg test for micronuclei induction, HET-MN). At the same time, the embryo mortality was documented. For each experiment, positive controls (cyclophosphamide and methotrexate) and negative controls (NaCl-solution, argon gas) were included. Additionally, the antioxidant potential of the blood plasma was assessed by ascorbic acid oxidation assay after treatment. Results: For both plasma sources, there was no evidence of genotoxicity, although at the longest plasma exposure time of 10 min the mortality of the embryos exceeded 40%. The antioxidant potential in the egg’s blood plasma was not significantly reduced immediately (p = 0.32) or 1 h (p = 0.19) post exposure to cold plasma. Conclusion: The longest plasma treatment time with the kINPen MED was 5–10 fold above the recommended limit for treatment of chronic wounds in clinics. We did not find mutagenic effects for any plasma treatment time using the either kINPen 09 or kINPen MED. The data provided with the current study seem to confirm the lack of a genotoxic potential suggesting that a veterinary or clinical application of these argon plasma jets does not pose mutagenic risks.
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    Combining Nanotechnology and Gas Plasma as an Emerging Platform for Cancer Therapy: Mechanism and Therapeutic Implication
    (Austin, Tex. : Landes Bioscience, 2021) Rasouli, Milad; Fallah, Nadia; Bekeschus, Sander
    Nanomedicine and plasma medicine are innovative and multidisciplinary research fields aiming to employ nanotechnology and gas plasma to improve health-related treatments. Especially cancer treatment has been in the focus of both approaches because clinical response rates with traditional methods that remain improvable for many types of tumor entities. Here, we discuss the recent progress of nanotechnology and gas plasma independently as well as in the concomitant modality of nanoplasma as multimodal platforms with unique capabilities for addressing various therapeutic issues in oncological research. The main features, delivery vehicles, and nexus between reactivity and therapeutic outcomes of nanoparticles and the processes, efficacy, and mechanisms of gas plasma are examined. Especially that the unique feature of gas plasma technology, the local and temporally controlled deposition of a plethora of reactive oxygen, and nitrogen species released simultaneously might be a suitable additive treatment to the use of systemic nanotechnology therapy approaches. Finally, we focus on the convergence of plasma and nanotechnology to provide a suitable strategy that may lead to the required therapeutic outcomes.
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    Toxicity and Immunogenicity in Murine Melanoma following Exposure to Physical Plasma-Derived Oxidants
    (Austin, Tex. : Landes Bioscience, 2017) Bekeschus, Sander; Rödder, Katrin; Fregin, Bob; Otto, Oliver; Lippert, Maxi; Weltmann, Klaus-Dieter; Wende, Kristian; Schmidt, Anke; Gandhirajan, Rajesh Kumar
    Metastatic melanoma is an aggressive and deadly disease. Therapeutic advance has been achieved by antitumor chemo- and radiotherapy. These modalities involve the generation of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, affecting cellular viability, migration, and immunogenicity. Such species are also created by cold physical plasma, an ionized gas capable of redox modulating cells and tissues without thermal damage. Cold plasma has been suggested for anticancer therapy. Here, melanoma cell toxicity, motility, and immunogenicity of murine metastatic melanoma cells were investigated following plasma exposure in vitro. Cells were oxidized by plasma, leading to decreased metabolic activity and cell death. Moreover, plasma decelerated melanoma cell growth, viability, and cell cycling. This was accompanied by increased cellular stiffness and upregulation of zonula occludens 1 protein in the cell membrane. Importantly, expression levels of immunogenic cell surface molecules such as major histocompatibility complex I, calreticulin, and melanocortin receptor 1 were significantly increased in response to plasma. Finally, plasma treatment significantly decreased the release of vascular endothelial growth factor, a molecule with importance in angiogenesis. Altogether, these results suggest beneficial toxicity of cold plasma in murine melanomas with a concomitant immunogenicity of potential interest in oncology.
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    Oxidants and Redox Signaling: Perspectives in Cancer Therapy, Inflammation, and Plasma Medicine
    (Austin, Tex. : Landes Bioscience, 2017) Bekeschus, Sander; Bräutigam, Lars; Wende, Kristian; Hanschmann, Eva-Maria
    [No abstract available]
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    Proteomic Changes of Tissue-Tolerable Plasma Treated Airway Epithelial Cells and Their Relation to Wound Healing
    (New York [u.a.] : Hindawi, 2015) Lendeckel, Derik; Eymann, Christine; Emicke, Philipp; Daeschlein, Georg; Darm, Katrin; O'Neil, Serena; Beule, Achim G; von Woedtke, Thomas; Völker, Uwe; Weltmann, Klaus-Dieter; Jünger, Michael; Hosemann, Werner; Scharf, Christian
    Background. The worldwide increasing number of patients suffering from nonhealing wounds requires the development of new safe strategies for wound repair. Recent studies suggest the possibility of nonthermal (cold) plasma application for the acceleration of wound closure. Methods. An in vitro wound healing model with upper airway S9 epithelial cells was established to determine the macroscopically optimal dosage of tissue-tolerable plasma (TTP) for wound regeneration, while a 2D-difference gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE) approach was used to quantify the proteomic changes in a hypothesis-free manner and to evaluate the balance of beneficial and adverse effects due to TTP application. Results. Plasma doses from 30 s up to 360 s were tested in relation to wound closure after 24 h, 48 h, 72 h, 96 h, and 120 h, in which lower doses (30, 60, and 120 s) resulted in dose-dependent improved wound healing rate compared to untreated cells. Thereby, the 120 s dose caused significantly the best wound healing properties after 96 and 120 h. The proteome analysis combined with IPA revealed that a lot of affected stress adaptation responses are linked to oxidative stress response emphasizing oxidative stress as a possible key event in the regeneration process of epithelial cells as well as in the adaptation to plasma exposure. Further cellular and molecular functions like proliferation and apoptosis were significantly up- or downregulated by all TTP treatments but mostly by the 120 s dose. Conclusions. For the first time, we were able to show plasma effects on cellular adaptation of upper airway epithelial S9 cells improving wound healing. This is of particular interest for plasma application, for example, in the surgery field of otorhinolaryngology or internal medicine.
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    Differential influence of components resulting from atmospheric-pressure plasma on integrin expression of human HaCaT keratinocytes
    (New York, NY : Hindawi, 2013) Haertel, B.; Straßenburg, S.; Oehmigen, K.; Wende, K.; Von Woedtke, T.; Lindequist, U.
    Adequate chronic wound healing is a major problem in medicine. A new solution might be non-thermal atmospheric-pressure plasma effectively inactivating microorganisms and influencing cells in wound healing. Plasma components as, for example, radicals can affect cells differently. HaCaT keratinocytes were treated with Dielectric Barrier Discharge plasma (DBD/air, DBD/argon), ozone or hydrogen peroxide to find the components responsible for changes in integrin expression, intracellular ROS formation or apoptosis induction. Dependent on plasma treatment time reduction of recovered cells was observed with no increase of apoptotic cells, but breakdown of mitochondrial membrane potential. DBD/air plasma increased integrins and intracellular ROS. DBD/argon caused minor changes. About 100 ppm ozone did not influence integrins. Hydrogen peroxide caused similar effects compared to DBD/air plasma. In conclusion, effects depended on working gas and exposure time to plasma. Short treatment cycles did neither change integrins nor induce apoptosis or ROS. Longer treatments changed integrins as important for influencing wound healing. Plasma effects on integrins are rather attributed to induction of other ROS than to generation of ozone. Changes of integrins by plasma may provide new solutions of improving wound healing, however, conditions are needed which allow initiating the relevant influence on integrins without being cytotoxic to cells.
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    Tissue Tolerable Plasma (TTP) induces apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells in vitro and in vivo
    (London : BioMed Central, 2012) Partecke, L.I.; Evert, K.; Haugk, J.; Doering, F.; Normann, L.; Diedrich, S.; Weiss, F.-U.; Evert, M.; Huebner, N.O.; Guenther, C.; Heidecke, C.D.; Kramer, A.; Bussiahn, R.; Weltmann, K.-D.; Pati, O.; Bender, C.; von Bernstorff, W.
    Background: The rate of microscopic incomplete resections of gastrointestinal cancers including pancreatic cancer has not changed considerably over the past years. Future intra-operative applications of tissue tolerable plasmas (TTP) could help to address this problem. Plasma is generated by feeding energy, like electrical discharges, to gases. The development of non-thermal atmospheric plasmas displaying spectra of temperature within or just above physiological ranges allows biological or medical applications of plasmas.Methods: We have investigated the effects of tissue tolerable plasmas (TTP) on the human pancreatic cancer cell line Colo-357 and PaTu8988T and the murine cell line 6606PDA in vitro (Annexin-V-FITC/DAPI-Assay and propidium iodide DNA staining assay) as well as in the in vivo tumour chorio-allantoic membrane (TUM-CAM) assay using Colo-357.Results: TTP of 20 seconds (s) induced a mild elevation of an experimental surface temperature of 23.7 degree Celsius up to 26.63+/-0.40 degree Celsius. In vitro TTP significantly (p=0.0003) decreased cell viability showing the strongest effects after 20s TTP. Also, TTP effects increased over time levelling off after 72 hours (30.1+/-4.4% of dead cells (untreated control) versus 78.0+/-9.6% (20s TTP)). However, analyzing these cells for apoptosis 10s TTP revealed the largest proportion of apoptotic cells (34.8+/-7.2%, p=0.0009 versus 12.3+/-6.6%, 20s TTP) suggesting non-apoptotic cell death in the majority of cells after 20s TTP. Using solid Colo-357 tumours in the TUM-CAM model TUNEL-staining showed TTP-induced apoptosis up to a depth of tissue penetration (DETiP) of 48.8+/-12.3μm (20s TTP, p<0.0001). This was mirrored by a significant (p<0.0001) reduction of Ki-67+ proliferating cells (80.9+/-13.2% versus 37.7+/-14.6%, p<0.0001) in the top cell layers as well as typical changes on HE specimens. The bottom cell layers were not affected by TTP.Conclusions: Our data suggest possible future intra-operative applications of TTP to reduce microscopic residual disease in pancreatic cancer resections. Further promising applications include other malignancies (central liver/lung tumours) as well as synergistic effects combining TTP with chemotherapies. Yet, adaptations of plasma sources as well as of the composition of effective components of TTP are required to optimize their synergistic apoptotic actions.
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    Periodic Exposure of Keratinocytes to Cold Physical Plasma: An In Vitro Model for Redox-Related Diseases of the Skin
    (London: Hindawi, 2016) Schmidt, Anke; von Woedtke, Thomas; Bekeschus, Sander
    Oxidative stress illustrates an imbalance between radical formation and removal. Frequent redox stress is critically involved in many human pathologies including cancer, psoriasis, and chronic wounds. However, reactive species pursue a dual role being involved in signaling on the one hand and oxidative damage on the other. Using a HaCaT keratinocyte cell culture model, we investigated redox regulation and inflammation to periodic, low-dose oxidative stress after two, six, eight, ten, and twelve weeks. Chronic redox stress was generated by recurrent incubation with cold physical plasma-treated cell culture medium. Using transcriptome microarray technology, we identified both acute ROS-stress responses as well as numerous adaptions after several weeks of redox challenge. We determined a differential expression (2-fold, FDR < 0.01, p < 0.05) of 260 genes that function in inflammation and redox homeostasis, such as cytokines (e.g., IL-6, IL-8, and IL-10), growth factors (e.g., CSF2, FGF, and IGF-2), and antioxidant enzymes (e.g., HMOX, NQO1, GPX, and PRDX). Apoptotic signaling was affected rather modestly, especially in p53 downstream targets (e.g., BCL2, BBC3, and GADD45). Strikingly, the cell-protective heat shock protein HSP27 was strongly upregulated (p < 0.001). These results suggested cellular adaptions to frequent redox stress and may help to better understand the inflammatory responses in redox-related diseases.