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Updated: Feb 4, 2026

Characterization of Molecular Mechanisms of In vivo UVR Induced Cataract
Published on: November 28, 2012
Molecular mechanisms of non-thermal plasma-induced effects in cancer cells
Hiromasa Tanaka1, Masaaki Mizuno2, Kenji Ishikawa3
1Institute of Innovation for Future Society, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8603, Japan.
Abstract:
Plasma is the fourth state of matter with higher energy than gas; non-thermal plasma (NTP) is currently available. As NTP is useful in sterilization, promoting wound healing and cancer treatments, the molecular mechanisms of plasma-induced effects in living cells and microorganisms are of significant interest in plasma medicine with medical-engineering collaboration. Molecular mechanisms of plasma-induced effects in cancer cells will be described in this minireview. Both direct and indirect methods to treat cancer cells with NTP have been developed. NTP interacts directly with not only cancer cells but also the liquids surrounding cancer cells and the immune cells that target them. Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species play key roles in NTP-induced effects; however, other mechanisms have been suggested. The complex interactions between NTP, cells and liquids have been extensively studied. In the future, details regarding NTP-induced effects on gene regulatory networks, signaling networks, and metabolic networks will be elucidated.
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