Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 9, 2026
A 3D Organotypic Melanoma Spheroid Skin Model
Published on: May 18, 2018
Antitumor effects of plasma‑activated solution on a murine melanoma model in vivo and in vitro
Xingyu Yang1, Cheng Chen1, Shiyun Zhou1
1Department of Dermatology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230601, P.R. China.
Abstract:
Melanoma is a common malignant skin tumor with highly invasive features and a high metastasis rate that can be difficult to treat clinically. Large-scale resection of primary cutaneous melanoma is often used to avoid postoperative recurrence. For advanced patients, radiotherapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy are often needed. Low-temperature plasma has been proved to have significant antitumor effects on a variety of cancer cell lines cultured in vitro. The main limitation of direct low-temperature plasma treatment is that it has weak penetration ability and can only treat superficial lesions. In recent years, research on low-temperature plasma-activated solution has revealed that it also have good antitumor effects and low-temperature plasma penetration depth problems can be solved by local injection. The present study revealed that low-temperature plasma-activated phosphate buffer solution exhibited good antitumor effects and biosafety against melanoma in vitro and in vivo. It demonstrated that low-temperature plasma-activated solution has antitumor effects due to its regulation of intracellular redox, destruction of mitochondrial function and DNA damage. In vivo experiments demonstrated that treatment with low-temperature plasma-activated solution not only exhibited antitumor effects but also caused no significant damage to hematopoietic function or liver and kidney functions in mice. All these results demonstrated that low-temperature plasma-activated solution represent a promising antitumor treatment strategy.
Insights
Low-temperature plasma-activated solution shows promise for treating melanoma. This innovative approach effectively targets melanoma cells in vitro and in vivo with minimal damage to healthy tissues, offering a potential new cancer therapy.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Biophysics
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Melanoma is an aggressive skin cancer with high metastasis rates, often requiring extensive treatment.
- Current treatments like surgery, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy face limitations, especially for advanced cases.
- Direct low-temperature plasma (LTP) shows antitumor effects but is limited by poor penetration depth for superficial lesions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the antitumor effects and biosafety of low-temperature plasma-activated phosphate buffer solution (LTP-PBS) against melanoma.
- To explore the potential of LTP-activated solutions as a viable therapeutic strategy for melanoma, overcoming penetration limitations.
Main Methods:
- In vitro studies on melanoma cell lines to assess antitumor activity.
- In vivo experiments using mouse models to evaluate therapeutic efficacy and systemic toxicity.
- Analysis of cellular mechanisms, including intracellular redox regulation, mitochondrial function, and DNA damage.
Main Results:
- LTP-PBS demonstrated significant antitumor effects against melanoma cells in vitro.
- In vivo studies confirmed antitumor activity of LTP-PBS with no significant damage to hematopoietic, liver, or kidney functions in mice.
- The mechanism of action involves regulating intracellular redox, damaging mitochondrial function, and causing DNA damage in cancer cells.
Conclusions:
- Low-temperature plasma-activated phosphate buffer solution exhibits potent antitumor effects and favorable biosafety profiles for melanoma.
- LTP-activated solutions offer a promising strategy to overcome the penetration limitations of direct LTP treatment.
- This approach represents a novel and potentially effective therapeutic avenue for melanoma treatment.
