Cold Atmospheric Plasma Is a Potent Tool to Improve Chemotherapy in Melanoma In Vitro and In Vivo
Mina Alimohammadi,
Monireh Golpour,
Farshad Sohbatzadeh,
Seyedehniaz Hadavi,
Sander Bekeschus,
Haleh Akhavan Niaki,
Reza Valadan,
Alireza Rafiei
Affiliations
Mina Alimohammadi
Department of Immunology, Molecular and Cell Biology Research Center, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari 4847191971, Iran
Monireh Golpour
Molecular and Cell Biology Research Center, Student Research Committee, Faculty of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Science, Sari 4847191971, Iran
Farshad Sohbatzadeh
Department of Atomic and Molecular Physics, Faculty of Basic Sciences, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar 4741613534, Iran
Seyedehniaz Hadavi
Department of Atomic and Molecular Physics, Faculty of Basic Sciences, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar 4741613534, Iran
Sander Bekeschus
ZIK Plasmatis, Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology (INP), 17489 Greifswald, Germany
Haleh Akhavan Niaki
Cellular and Molecular Biology Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol 4817813748, Iran
Reza Valadan
Department of Immunology, Molecular and Cell Biology Research Center, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari 4847191971, Iran
Alireza Rafiei
Department of Immunology, Molecular and Cell Biology Research Center, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari 4847191971, Iran
Malignant melanoma is a devastating disease. Because of its aggressiveness, it also serves as a model tumor for investigating novel therapeutic avenues. In recent years, scientific evidence has shown that cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) might be a promising modality in cancer therapy. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of CAP generated by an argon plasma jet alone or in combination with dacarbazine (DAC) on melanoma cells in vitro and in vivo. The effects of the CAP on inducing lipid peroxidation and nitric oxide production were higher in B16 melanoma cells in comparison to non-malignant L929 cells. Assays on cell growth, apoptosis, and expression of genes related to, e.g., autophagic processes, showed CAP to have a substantial impact in melanoma cells while there were only minoreffects in L929 cells. In vivo, both CAP monotherapy and combination with DAC significantly decreased tumor growth. These results suggest that CAP not only selectively induces cell death in melanoma but also holds promises in combination with chemotherapy that might lead to improved tumor control.
