Non-thermal Plasma As Promising Anti-cancer Therapy Against Bladder Cancer by Inducing DNA Damage and Cell Cycle Arrest

Overview

Journal Sci Rep

Date 2025 Jan 17

PMID 39824909

Authors

Jojanneke Stoof

Zakaria Kalmoua

Ana Sobota

Ruud H Brakenhoff

Marijke Stigter

Thang V Pham

Sander R Piersma

Alex Henneman

Tonny Lagerweij

Richard de Goeij-de Haas

R Jeroen A van Moorselaar

Connie R Jimenez

Irene V Bijnsdorp

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Bladder cancer often recurs, necessitating innovative treatments to reduce recurrence. We investigated non-thermal plasma's potential as a novel anti-cancer therapy, focusing on plasma-activated solution (PAS), created by exposing saline to non-thermal plasma. Our study aims to elucidate the biological effects of PAS on bladder cancer cell lines in vitro, as well as the combination with mitomycin C (MMC), using clinically relevant settings. PAS treatment exerts a potent cytotoxic effect through the production of intracellular reactive oxygen species, resulting in DNA damage and subsequent induction of G1 cell cycle arrest/senescence. This is induced via upregulation of cell cycle checkpoint signalling and DNA damage repair pathways using LC-M/MS-based phospho-proteomics. Importantly, combining PAS with MMC reveals a synergistic effect (Combination Index of 0.59-0.67), suggesting the potential of utilizing PAS in combination therapies. Our findings demonstrate PAS's mode of action and suggest its potential as a promising treatment for bladder cancer, warranting further clinical studies.

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