title: Toward understanding the selective anticancer capacity of cold atmospheric plasma--a model based on aquaporins (Review).
abstract: Selectively treating tumor cells is the ongoing challenge of modern cancer therapy. Recently, cold atmospheric plasma (CAP), a near room-temperature ionized gas, has been demonstrated to exhibit selective anticancer behavior. However, the mechanism governing such selectivity is still largely unknown. In this review, the authors first summarize the progress that has been made applying CAP as a selective tool for cancer treatment. Then, the key role of aquaporins in the H2O2 transmembrane diffusion is discussed. Finally, a novel model, based on the expression of aquaporins, is proposed to explain why cancer cells respond to CAP treatment with a greater rise in reactive oxygen species than homologous normal cells. Cancer cells tend to express more aquaporins on their cytoplasmic membranes, which may cause the H2O2 uptake speed in cancer cells to be faster than in normal cells. As a result, CAP treatment kills cancer cells more easily than normal cells. Our preliminary observations indicated that glioblastoma cells consumed H2O2 much faster than did astrocytes in either the CAP-treated or H2O2-rich media, which supported the selective model based on aquaporins.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, The George Washington University, Science & Engineering Hall, 800 22nd Street, NW, Room 3550, Washington, DC 20052.
authors.forename: Dayun
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, The George Washington University, Phillips Hall, 801 22nd Street, NW, Suite 212, Washington, DC 20052.
authors.forename: Annie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Talbot
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, Lisner Hall, 2023 G Street, NW, Suite 340, Washington, DC 20052.
authors.forename: Niki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nourmohammadi
authors.affiliation: Neurological Surgery, The George Washington University, Foggy Bottom South Pavilion, 22nd Street, NW, 7th Floor, Washington, DC 20037.
authors.forename: Jonathan H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Sherman
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, The George Washington University, Science & Engineering Hall, 800 22nd Street, NW, Room 3550, Washington, DC 20052.
authors.forename: Xiaoqian
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, The George Washington University, Science & Engineering Hall, 800 22nd Street, NW, Room 3550, Washington, DC 20052.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Keidar
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020346:Aquaporins / Q000187:drug effects*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity; D006874:Hydrostatic Pressure; D008954:Models, Biological; D058626:Plasma Gases / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D020346:Aquaporins; D058626:Plasma Gases; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide