Cold Atmospheric Plasma in Cancer Therapy: Molecular Insights, Novel Concepts, and Future Opportunities

Over the past 2 decades, cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) has been playing increasingly pivotal roles in cutting edge biomedical applications and has developed into an innovative field of research of growing importance. One promising new medical application of CAP is cancer treatment. Being able to richly induce both reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, CAP has been shown to effectively control events critical to cancer initiation/progression; selectively inducing Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) damage and apoptotic cell deaths, reducing tumor volume and vasculature, halting metastasis and conferring anti-tumor effects by taking advantage of e.g., synergies among and between chemotherapeutic drugs and nanoparticles. This paper discusses molecular and immunological mechanisms of CAP treatment as a potential tool against cancers, with a focus on the novel mechanisms by which CAP interacts with chemotherapeutic drugs and nanotechnology. We then attempt to draw parallels between what is already known about the mechanisms of CAP activity, some novel concepts and attempts of CAP synergy, and the knowledge we would need to develop CAP as a potential therapeutic strategy in oncotherapy. HIGHLIGHTS This article focused on critical review of cold atmospheric plasma’s (CAP) application in cancer therapy. CAP technology in cancer treatment has been expected to cause a medical and therapeutic implications. CAP has strong anticancer efficacy and has been reported about the cell migration and apoptosis. The major role of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species of plasma discharge is to control the core state of cancer transition. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT