Recent Advances in Prion Inactivation by Plasma Sterilizer

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Infectious Diseases
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Prions are infectious agents responsible for transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) and exhibit extreme resistance to inactivation.
• Current methods for prion inactivation, particularly for heat-sensitive medical devices, often rely on hydrogen peroxide gas sterilization.
• Limited research exists on the efficacy of various gas plasma technologies for comprehensive prion inactivation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of different gas plasma instruments in prion inactivation.
• To clarify the role of radio frequency (RF) gas plasma in the STERRAD® system's prion inactivation capabilities.
• To highlight the need for further research on gas plasma inactivation using human-derived prion samples.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing studies on prion inactivation using gas plasma instruments.
• Analysis of the STERRAD® system's mechanism, distinguishing between hydrogen peroxide gas sterilization and RF plasma contribution.
• Examination of recent findings on scrapie prion inactivation by various gas plasma devices (corona, dielectric barrier, microwave, pulse discharges).

Main Results:

• The STERRAD® system primarily functions as a hydrogen peroxide gas sterilizer, with RF plasma not directly contributing to sterilization.
• Evidence suggests that gas plasma instruments utilizing various gases (air, nitrogen, oxygen, Ar) and discharge types can inactivate scrapie prions.
• Studies on the inactivation of prions beyond scrapie by gas plasma are scarce.

Conclusions:

• The STERRAD® system's prion inactivation relies on hydrogen peroxide gas, not the generated plasma.
• Alternative gas plasma technologies demonstrate potential for inactivating prions like scrapie.
• Further investigation into the efficacy of gas plasma sterilization against human-derived prions is crucial for clinical applications.