[Atmospheric pressure cold plasma-activated media, a new therapeutic approach for skin wound healing and beyond?]

The direct application of cold plasmas at atmospheric pressure, corresponding to partially ionized gases, is an emerging technology with a number of potential biomedical applications, including the decontamination of surgical devices. A new derived and easier to implement method has recently been developed: the use of cold atmospheric plasma-activated media (PAM). Numerous preclinical studies and in vitro models indicates that PAM treatments facilitate wound healing by promoting keratinocytes and fibroblasts migration, stimulating angiogenesis, and inhibiting bacterial proliferation, all of which are essential for this vital process. PAM treatments induce the expression of cytokines, growth factors and matrix metalloproteinases, reduce cellular adhesion, and promote cytoskeletal changes, probably under the influence of plasma-generated reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. PAM treatments represent a promising novel therapy for treating chronic skin and mucosal wounds.