Medical Gas Plasma Treatment in Head and Neck Cancer—Challenges and Opportunities

Despite progress in oncotherapy, cancer is still among the deadliest diseases in the Western world, emphasizing the demand for novel treatment avenues. Cold physical plasma has shown antitumor activity in experimental models of, e.g., glioblastoma, colorectal cancer, breast carcinoma, osteosarcoma,...

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Main Authors: Julia Berner, Christian Seebauer, Sanjeev Kumar Sagwal, Lars Boeckmann, Steffen Emmert, Hans-Robert Metelmann, Sander Bekeschus
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2020-03-01
Series:Applied Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/10/6/1944
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author Julia Berner
Christian Seebauer
Sanjeev Kumar Sagwal
Lars Boeckmann
Steffen Emmert
Hans-Robert Metelmann
Sander Bekeschus
author_facet Julia Berner
Christian Seebauer
Sanjeev Kumar Sagwal
Lars Boeckmann
Steffen Emmert
Hans-Robert Metelmann
Sander Bekeschus
author_sort Julia Berner
collection DOAJ
description Despite progress in oncotherapy, cancer is still among the deadliest diseases in the Western world, emphasizing the demand for novel treatment avenues. Cold physical plasma has shown antitumor activity in experimental models of, e.g., glioblastoma, colorectal cancer, breast carcinoma, osteosarcoma, bladder cancer, and melanoma in vitro and in vivo. In addition, clinical case reports have demonstrated that physical plasma reduces the microbial contamination of severely infected tumor wounds and ulcerations, as is often seen with head and neck cancer patients. These antimicrobial and antitumor killing properties make physical plasma a promising tool for the treatment of head and neck cancer. Moreover, this type of cancer is easily accessible from the outside, facilitating the possibility of several rounds of topical gas plasma treatment of the same patient. Gas plasma treatment of head and neck cancer induces diverse effects via the deposition of a plethora of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species that mediate redox-biochemical processes, and ultimately, selective cancer cell death. The main advantage of medical gas plasma treatment in oncology is the lack of adverse events and significant side effects compared to other treatment modalities, such as surgical approaches, chemotherapeutics, and radiotherapy, making plasma treatment an attractive strategy for the adjuvant and palliative treatment of head and neck cancer. This review outlines the state of the art and progress in investigating physical plasma as a novel treatment modality in the therapy of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
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spelling doaj.art-6929e8bb7e824c68841f2517159b75e32022-12-22T02:22:51ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172020-03-01106194410.3390/app10061944app10061944Medical Gas Plasma Treatment in Head and Neck Cancer—Challenges and OpportunitiesJulia Berner0Christian Seebauer1Sanjeev Kumar Sagwal2Lars Boeckmann3Steffen Emmert4Hans-Robert Metelmann5Sander Bekeschus6Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Plastic Surgery, University Medicine Greifswald, Ferdinand-Sauerbruch-Str., 17475 Greifswald, GermanyDepartment of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Plastic Surgery, University Medicine Greifswald, Ferdinand-Sauerbruch-Str., 17475 Greifswald, GermanyZIK plasmatis, Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology (INP), Felix-Hausdorff-Str. 2, 17489 Greifswald, GermanyClinic and Polyclinic for Dermatology and Venereology, Rostock University Medical Center, Strempelstr. 13, 18057 Rostock, GermanyClinic and Polyclinic for Dermatology and Venereology, Rostock University Medical Center, Strempelstr. 13, 18057 Rostock, GermanyDepartment of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Plastic Surgery, University Medicine Greifswald, Ferdinand-Sauerbruch-Str., 17475 Greifswald, GermanyZIK plasmatis, Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology (INP), Felix-Hausdorff-Str. 2, 17489 Greifswald, GermanyDespite progress in oncotherapy, cancer is still among the deadliest diseases in the Western world, emphasizing the demand for novel treatment avenues. Cold physical plasma has shown antitumor activity in experimental models of, e.g., glioblastoma, colorectal cancer, breast carcinoma, osteosarcoma, bladder cancer, and melanoma in vitro and in vivo. In addition, clinical case reports have demonstrated that physical plasma reduces the microbial contamination of severely infected tumor wounds and ulcerations, as is often seen with head and neck cancer patients. These antimicrobial and antitumor killing properties make physical plasma a promising tool for the treatment of head and neck cancer. Moreover, this type of cancer is easily accessible from the outside, facilitating the possibility of several rounds of topical gas plasma treatment of the same patient. Gas plasma treatment of head and neck cancer induces diverse effects via the deposition of a plethora of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species that mediate redox-biochemical processes, and ultimately, selective cancer cell death. The main advantage of medical gas plasma treatment in oncology is the lack of adverse events and significant side effects compared to other treatment modalities, such as surgical approaches, chemotherapeutics, and radiotherapy, making plasma treatment an attractive strategy for the adjuvant and palliative treatment of head and neck cancer. This review outlines the state of the art and progress in investigating physical plasma as a novel treatment modality in the therapy of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/10/6/1944kinpenhnsccplasma medicinereactive oxygen and nitrogen speciesrnsros
spellingShingle Julia Berner
Christian Seebauer
Sanjeev Kumar Sagwal
Lars Boeckmann
Steffen Emmert
Hans-Robert Metelmann
Sander Bekeschus
Medical Gas Plasma Treatment in Head and Neck Cancer—Challenges and Opportunities
Applied Sciences
kinpen
hnscc
plasma medicine
reactive oxygen and nitrogen species
rns
ros
title Medical Gas Plasma Treatment in Head and Neck Cancer—Challenges and Opportunities
title_full Medical Gas Plasma Treatment in Head and Neck Cancer—Challenges and Opportunities
title_fullStr Medical Gas Plasma Treatment in Head and Neck Cancer—Challenges and Opportunities
title_full_unstemmed Medical Gas Plasma Treatment in Head and Neck Cancer—Challenges and Opportunities
title_short Medical Gas Plasma Treatment in Head and Neck Cancer—Challenges and Opportunities
title_sort medical gas plasma treatment in head and neck cancer challenges and opportunities
topic kinpen
hnscc
plasma medicine
reactive oxygen and nitrogen species
rns
ros
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/10/6/1944
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