Investigation of cellular responses induced by low-dose cold atmosphereic pressure plasma irradiation

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21H01074
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 14030:Applied plasma science-related
• Research Institution: Toyohashi University of Technology
• Principal Investigator: Kurita Hirofumi 豊橋技術科学大学, 工学(系)研究科(研究院), 准教授 (70512177)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 大気圧プラズマ / プラズマ医療応用 / 酸化ストレス / 核酸損傷 / 細胞死

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study focused on low-dose cold atmospheric pressure plasma (CAP) irradiation of mammalian cells. This study showed that base modification (8-oxoguanine: 8-oxoG), a type of oxidative nucleic acid damage, occurs on genomic DNA even when CAP irradiation does not significantly reduce cell viability. CAP irradiation was also shown to induce oxidative damage to mitochondrial DNA and RNA. The mechanism by which direct irradiation of cell suspensions with CAP irradiation increases intracellular ROS levels was investigated, suggesting that ROS levels may be increased by a pathway other than cell membrane perforation. It was suggested that low-dose CAP irradiation may induce cell growth arrest rather than cell death.

Free Research Field

プラズマ応用

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

細胞生存率を顕著に低下させないようなプラズマ照射であっても、細胞内の核酸に損傷を誘発し、その後修復されうることを明らかにした。また、先行研究ではプラズマ照射から24-48時間程度後で生存率を測定する解析がほとんどであるが、長期間培養後に細胞死ではなく細胞増殖停止という状態を生じることを示した。これは本研究で注目した低強度プラズマ照射のコンセプトが導き出した新たな知見である。