Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) and CAP-stimulated cell culture media suppress ovarian cancer cell growth - A putative treatment option in ovarian cancer therapy

Abstract

Background/Aim: Ovarian cancer (OC) is a gynecologic tumor with poor prognosis. Despite radical cytoreductive surgery and platinum-based adjuvant systemic treatment, OC will relapse in the majority of the cases. Thus, cold atmospheric plasma (CAP), a highly reactive physical state bearing diverse biological activities being suited for anticancer therapy, may be a promising option in OC therapy. Materials and Methods: OC cell lines were exposed either directly to the CAP or to cell culture medium previously exposed to CAP. Cell proliferation and cell motility was measured. Results: The data demonstrated, that even a single application of a short-term CAP treatment led to an attenuation of OC cell growth and motility. Moreover, incubation with CAP-treated cell culture medium gave similar effects. Results were consistent in four OC cell lines. Conclusion: In summary, the CAP application in oncological surgery leads to strong anti-proliferative effects and opens up novel opportunities for the OC treatment.