Promising trial for treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia using plasma technology

Abstract

This article presents a trial of the treatment of chronic-phase (CP) and accelerated-phase (AP) chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) that is resistant or only partially responded to chemotherapy. Blood samples of 6 cases diagnosed with CML were studied and compared with a control group. The first 3 cases were AP CML resistant to imatinib and nilotinib. The other 3 partially responded to the chemotherapy and returned to CP CML. Triple blood cultures for each case were exposed to a cold, pulsed, atmospheric pressure plasma jet for different durations (40, 80, and 120 seconds). Hematological, cytogenetic, and biochemical investigations were done before and after plasma jet exposure. The results showed an increase in necrotic and apoptotic cell counts and a decrease in the number of characteristic nucleoplasmic bridges (multinucleated threadlike shape). Concentrations of transforming growth factor-β1 and arginase decreased in the CML blood samples after exposure to plasma jet.This type of nonthermal plasma can kill cancer cells and prevent the cells from dividing, especially for the 80-second duration.