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Updated: Aug 3, 2025
Direct Reprogramming of Mouse Fibroblasts into Melanocytes
Published on: August 27, 2021
Identification of Targeted Central Genes (IGF1 and HMOX1) by Indirect Cold Physical Plasma in Human Melanocytes
Reza Vafaee1, Babak Arjmand2, Maryam Hamzeloo-Moghadam3
1Laser Application in Medical Sciences Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Abstract:
Introduction: Cold physical plasma is a growing tool in medicine which is applied for the treatment of different cancers. In the present study, the gene profiles of human melanocytes exposed to indirect cold physical plasma versus control individuals are analyzed via protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis. Methods: The gene expression profiles were derived from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), and the significant differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were decoded via "Expression Atlas". PPI network analysis was applied to find the targeted central genes by indirect cold physical plasma. Results: The main connected component of the constructed network including 74 queried DEGs and 50 added first neighbors was analyzed. Considering degree value, betweenness centrality, closeness centrality, and stress, IGF1 and HMOX1 were introduced as the central nodes. Conclusion: The finding of this study indicates that the down-regulation of IGF1 and the up-regulation of HMOX are the prominent events in response to indirect cold physical plasma treatment at the cellular level. Detection of related biological terms via gene ontology is suggested.
Insights
Cold physical plasma shows promise in cancer treatment. This study found that indirect cold physical plasma down-regulates IGF1 and up-regulates HMOX in human melanocytes, revealing key cellular responses.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Oncology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Cold physical plasma is an emerging therapeutic modality for various cancers.
- Understanding the molecular mechanisms of cold physical plasma on cells is crucial for its clinical application.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the gene expression profiles of human melanocytes treated with indirect cold physical plasma.
- To identify central genes and molecular pathways affected by cold physical plasma using protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis.
Main Methods:
- Gene expression profiles were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO).
- Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified using Expression Atlas.
- Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis was performed to pinpoint key regulatory genes.
Main Results:
- A PPI network was constructed, comprising 74 DEGs and 50 neighboring genes.
- IGF1 (Insulin-like Growth Factor 1) and HMOX1 (Heme Oxygenase 1) were identified as central nodes based on network centrality metrics.
- IGF1 was found to be down-regulated, while HMOX1 was up-regulated in response to treatment.
Conclusions:
- Indirect cold physical plasma treatment induces significant changes in gene expression in human melanocytes.
- The down-regulation of IGF1 and up-regulation of HMOX1 are key cellular events in response to cold physical plasma.
- Further investigation using gene ontology is recommended to elucidate the biological implications of these findings.
