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Plasma and Cancer Treatment
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Plasma and Cancer Treatment

A special issue of Cancers (ISSN 2072-6694). This special issue belongs to the section "Cancer Therapy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 1843

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Michael Keidar

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, The George Washington University, Science and Engineering Hall, 800 22nd Street, NW, Washington, DC 20052, USA
Interests: applied research in plasma medicine; plasma nanoscience; nanotechnology; cold plasma application for wound healing; cold plasma cancer therapy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Vikas Soni

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, The George Washington University, Science and Engineering Hall, 800 22nd Street, NW, Washington, DC 20052, USA
Interests: plasma medicine; cancer biology; biochemistry

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue aims to explore the innovative applications of Cold Atmospheric Plasma (CAP) in cancer treatment, focusing on both its potential and the challenges of integrating plasma technology into clinical oncology. CAP, a partially ionized gas at room temperature, has gained attention as a non-invasive approach to target and treat various cancer types, offering novel therapeutic strategies. Plasma interacts with cells, tissues, and tumors through reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, which can induce cell death, enhance chemotherapy efficacy, and even facilitate immune responses.

Key areas of interest include the molecular and genetic mechanisms underlying plasma-induced cancer cell apoptosis, the combination of CAP with traditional therapies (such as chemotherapy and radiation), and the potential of plasma to induce oxidative stress in cancer treatment. The issue will cover various applications of CAP in cancer research, ranging from in vitro studies where CAP is used to treat cultured cancer cells to in vivo research involving animal models for evaluating the therapeutic potential of CAP in solid tumors. Additionally, the issue will discuss ongoing preclinical or clinical trials and the translational challenges involved in bringing CAP-based therapies from the laboratory to patient care. Additionally, the safety, regulatory hurdles, and clinical translation of CAP-based therapies will be addressed, providing a comprehensive overview of their potential in cancer care.

The issue will feature original research articles and reviews that highlight advancements in plasma technology, its therapeutic efficacy, and the promise it holds for revolutionizing cancer treatment.

Prof. Dr. Michael Keidar
Dr. Vikas Soni
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Cancers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • cold atmospheric plasma (CAP)
  • cancer treatment
  • plasma medicine
  • reactive oxygen species (ROS)
  • apoptosis
  • tumor
  • non-thermal plasma
  • plasma oncology
  • cancer and molecular biology
  • clinical translation
  • in vivo/preclinical

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

24 pages, 6444 KB  
Article
Non-Invasive Physical Plasma as an Oncological Therapy Option: Modulation of Cancer Cell Growth, Motility, and Metabolism Without Induction of Cancer Resistance Factors
by Yanqing Wang, Benedikt Eggers, Alexander Abazid, Holger H. H. Erb and Matthias B. Stope
Cancers 2025, 17(21), 3517; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17213517 - 31 Oct 2025
Viewed by 604
Abstract
Background: Physical plasma, the fourth state of matter formed through gas ionization, has shown promise in various clinical applications, including wound healing and antimicrobial therapy. Recently, Non-invasive physical plasma (NIPP) selectively disrupts tumor cell proliferation and metabolism without inducing cytoprotective stress responses, [...] Read more.
Background: Physical plasma, the fourth state of matter formed through gas ionization, has shown promise in various clinical applications, including wound healing and antimicrobial therapy. Recently, Non-invasive physical plasma (NIPP) selectively disrupts tumor cell proliferation and metabolism without inducing cytoprotective stress responses, positioning it as a promising adjunct in oncological therapies, though its underlying mechanisms remain insufficiently understood. Methods: In this study, we investigated the effects of NIPP (Plasma Care device) on six tumor cell lines, ovarian (SKOV-3, OVCAR-3), prostate (LNCaP, PC-3), and breast (MCF-7, MDA-MB-231). Cell proliferation and migration were assessed using CASY analysis and scratch assays, while cytoskeletal integrity, heat shock protein (HSP) expression, and key metabolic indicators were evaluated through immunofluorescence, Western blotting, and biochemical assays. Results: NIPP treatment significantly inhibited tumor cell proliferation and migration, disrupted cytoskeletal organization, and altered metabolic activity in a time-dependent manner. These effects were associated with increased intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), decreased mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), enhanced glycolysis, and elevated lactate production. Notably, despite cellular stress, neither HSP expression nor superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity showed significant changes, suggesting a lack of classical stress-response activation. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that NIPP selectively impairs tumor cell function by inducing oxidative stress and metabolic disruption, without triggering protective HSP-mediated resistance pathways commonly seen in radiotherapy and chemotherapy. These results highlight the therapeutic potential of NIPP, particularly via the Plasma Care device, as a novel anticancer strategy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plasma and Cancer Treatment)
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17 pages, 4602 KB  
Article
Dual-Plasma Discharge Tube for Synergistic Glioblastoma Treatment
by William Murphy, Alex Horkowitz, Vikas Soni, Camil Walkiewicz-Yvon and Michael Keidar
Cancers 2025, 17(12), 2036; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17122036 - 18 Jun 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 932
Abstract
Background: Glioblastoma (GBM) resists current therapies due to its rapid proliferation, diffuse invasion, and heterogeneous cell populations. We previously showed that a single cold atmospheric plasma discharge tube (DT) reduces GBM viability via broad-spectrum electromagnetic (EM) emissions. Here, we tested whether two DTs [...] Read more.
Background: Glioblastoma (GBM) resists current therapies due to its rapid proliferation, diffuse invasion, and heterogeneous cell populations. We previously showed that a single cold atmospheric plasma discharge tube (DT) reduces GBM viability via broad-spectrum electromagnetic (EM) emissions. Here, we tested whether two DTs arranged in a helmet configuration could generate overlapping EM fields to amplify the anti-tumor effects without thermal injury. Methods: The physical outputs of the single- and dual-DT setups were characterized by infrared thermography, broadband EM field probes, and oscilloscope analysis. Human U87-MG cells were exposed under the single or dual configurations. The viability was quantified with WST-8 assays mapped across 96-well plates; the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), membrane integrity, apoptosis, and mitochondrial potential were assessed by multiparametric flow cytometry. Our additivity models compared the predicted versus observed dual-DT cytotoxicity. Results: The dual-DT operation produced constructive EM interference, elevating electric and magnetic field amplitudes over a broader area than either tube alone, while temperatures remained <39 °C. The single-DT exposure lowered the cell viability by ~40%; the dual-DT treatment reduced the viability by ~60%, exceeding the additive predictions. The regions of greatest cytotoxicity co-localized with the zones of highest EM field overlap. The dual-DT exposure doubled the intracellular ROS compared with single-DT and Annexin V positivity, confirming oxidative stress-driven cell death. The out-of-phase operation of the discharge tubes enabled the localized control of the treatment regions, which can guide future treatment planning. Conclusions: Two synchronously operated plasma discharge tubes synergistically enhanced GBM cell killing through non-thermal mechanisms that coupled intensified overlapping EM fields with elevated oxidative stress. This positions modular multi-DT arrays as a potential non-invasive adjunct or alternative to existing electric-field-based therapies for glioblastoma. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plasma and Cancer Treatment)
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