61st Annual Gaseous Electronics Conference
Volume 53, Number 10
Monday–Friday, October 13–17, 2008;
Dallas, Texas
Session DT2: Biological and Emerging Applications of Plasma
1:30 PM–3:30 PM,
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Room: Salon A-D
Chair: E. Stoffels, Eindhoven University of Technology/Drexel University Philadelphia
Abstract ID: BAPS.2008.GEC.DT2.3
Abstract: DT2.00003 : Interaction of Low Temperature Plasmas with Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells
2:00 PM–2:30 PM
Preview Abstract
Abstract
Author:
Mounir Laroussi
(Old Dominion University)
Due to promising possibilities for their use in medical
applications such as
wound healing, surface modification of biocompatible materials,
and the
sterilization of reusable heat-sensitive medical instruments, low
temperature plasmas and plasma jets are making big strides as a
technology
that can potentially be used in medicine$^{1-2}$.
At this stage of research, fundamental questions about the
effects of plasma
on prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells are still not completely
answered. An
in-depth understanding of the pathway whereby cold plasma
interact with
biological cells is necessary before real applications can emerge.
In this paper, first an overview of non-equilibrium plasma
sources (both low
and high pressures) will be presented. Secondly, the effects of
plasma on
bacterial cells will be discussed. Here, the roles of the various
plasma
agents in the inactivation process will be outlined. In
particular, the
effects of UV and that of various reactive species (O$_{3}$, O,
OH{\ldots})
are highlighted. Thirdly, preliminary findings on the effects of
plasma on
few types of eukaryotic cells will be presented. How plasma affects
eukaryotic cells, such as mammalian cells, is very important in
applications
where the viability/preservation of the cells could be an issue
(such as in
wound treatment). Another interesting aspect is the triggering of
apoptosis
(programmed cell death). Some investigators have claimed that
plasma is able
to induce apoptosis in some types of cancer cells. If successfully
replicated, this can open up a novel method of cancer treatment.
In this
talk however, I will briefly focus more on the wound healing
potential of
cold plasmas.
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$^1$E. A. Blakely, K. A. Bjornstad, J. E. Galvin, O. R. Monteiro,
and I. G. Brown, ``Selective Neuron Growth on Ion Implanted and
Plasma Deposited Surfaces'', \textit{In Proc. IEEE Int. Conf.
Plasma Sci}., (2002), p. 253.
\newline
$^2$M. Laroussi, ``Non-thermal Decontamination of Biological
Media by Atmospheric Pressure Plasmas: Review, Analysis, and
Prospects'', \textit{IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci}., Vol. 30,
No. 4, pp. 1409-1415, (2002).
To cite this abstract, use the following reference: http://meetings.aps.org/link/BAPS.2008.GEC.DT2.3