Gas plasma for cancer treatment: Current insight and future trends

Cancer is the leading cause of mortality worldwide and facing the healthcare system with major challenges due to the inadequate efficacy of current onco-therapeutic agents. Compared to the current therapeutic modalities, gas plasma oncotherapy leading to outstanding outcomes owing to its multimodal nature and adjustable dose nature. Reactive agents are produced in the interaction of plasma plume with air, liquid, and cells, resulting in dose-dependent selective cell deaths. Gas plasma oncology aims to utilize medical gas plasma for cancer treatment, which exhibits a great anti-cancer platform. In this review, gas plasma oncotherapy from main indicators to state-of-the-art topics comprehensively is presented. Moreover, we focus on the nexus between plasma-generated chemical and physical effects and desirable biological responses and discuss the precise role of these agents in the treatment procedures. Additionally, plasma dose as dependent on the input parameters and process factors is defined. Molecular and selectivity mechanisms of gas plasma oncotherapy are discussed in detail. Finally, the current challenges in gas plasma oncotherapy are presented and future trends are discussed.

Keywords:

Cancer , gas plasma , reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) , Selectivity