Mounir Laroussi
Published: 2023-11-09
Total Pages: 134
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Low-temperature plasmas (LTP) at atmospheric gas pressure play an increasing role in biomedical applications. The experimentally observed benefits of LTP for these applications are attributed to the controllable fluxes of chemically active species that can be produced in air at near room temperatures and delivered to bio-matter to induce desired effects. Recent research on the biomedical applications of LTP has generated new scientific knowledge regarding the interaction of plasma with soft matter including cells, tissues, seeds, and plants. The observed effects of LTP on biological cells are mediated by the plasma-produced reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS). These include hydroxyl, OH, atomic oxygen, O, singlet delta oxygen, O2(1Δ), superoxide, O2-, hydrogen peroxide, H2O2, and nitric oxide, NO. Some of these species are known to play important roles in biology serving as signaling molecules in living organisms. When they come in contact with biological cells these species interact with the lipids and proteins of the cell membrane, enter the cell and increase the intracellular ROS concentrations, which can lead to DNA damage and may compromise the integrity of other cell organelles. ROS and RNS can also trigger cell signaling pathways, which can lead to cellular death by apoptosis or necrosis. Other plasma-generated agents that could play biological roles are charged particles (electrons and ions), UV photons, and electric fields.