Study of the effects of Cold Atmospheric Plasmas on skin cells

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Study of the Effects of Cold Atmospheric Plasmas on Skin Cancer Cells

Publication . Pereira, Sara Raquel Gemelgo; Venceslau, Susana; Ribeiro, Paulo

Cold atmospheric plasmas (CAPs) are a specific type of non-thermal plasmas mainly composed of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS and RNS, respectively), UV radiation and charged particles. In the last years, liquids treated by CAPs (indirect CAPs treatments) have attracted attention in oncology due to its ability to destroy cancer cells with an effectiveness similar to direct irradiation of cells by CAPs. Moreover, these indirect treatments offer the advantage of avoiding the effects of UV radiation and of the electrical fields present in plasmas being their effects mainly dependent on the reactive species produced in CAPs treated medium. To better understand the mechanisms behind the interaction between CAPs, treated medium and cells, in this work, a plasma jet device was engineered for study the vulnerability of four human cell lines (SCC-15, Met-1, HaCat, and HGF-1) to the culture medium previously exposed to CAPs. Besides that, also the characterization of the liquids exposed to plasma was done, by quantification of the concentration of H2O2, nitrate, and nitrite, using colorimetric assays and ion chromatography, respectively. To prove that the effects of exposure to CAPs are dependent on the used device, mass spectrometry studies were carried out in order to compare the spectra obtained using the developed device with that of the kINPen09. Based on this study, it was possible to investigate the oxidation of thiol groups of a cysteine solution. Cysteine was chosen since it is an amino acid that acts as a biomarker of oxidative damage. To complete these results, the study of phenol degradation and the addition of scavengers to the treated medium were also evaluated. According to the obtained results it could be observed that the cancer cell lines (SCC-15 and Met-1) in study are more sensitive to the liquids treated by CAPs than the non-cancer ones (HGF-1 and HaCat). The CAPs effects, in the case of the developed jet, seem to be mainly related to the mechanisms induced by RNS species, while in treatments performed using kINPen09, a higher oxidation rate was observed, due to the high concentration of ROS species, mainly H2O2.

2021-02-25Tese de doutoramento

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Entidade financiadora

Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia

Programa de financiamento

OE

Número da atribuição

PD/BD/114444/2016