Molecular mechanism of cellular responses to non-thermal plasma irradiation

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26460630
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Applied pharmacology
• Research Institution: Gifu Pharmaceutical University
• Principal Investigator: Hara Hirokazu 岐阜薬科大学, 薬学部, 准教授 (30305495)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 大気圧プラズマ / 酸化ストレス / 細胞死 / がん / 亜鉛

Outline of Final Research Achievements

There is growing evidence that non-thermal plasma (NTP) irradiation has a broad array of biological effects. Since NTP irradiation has been reported to selectively damage cancer cells, its application is believed to be useful for cancer therapy. The indirect NTP irradiation method using plasma-activated medium (PAM) is equally as effective to kill cancer cells as the direct NTP irradiation method. The anti-cancer effects of PAM have been shown to be attributed to reactive oxygen species (ROS) within it. Oxidative stress caused by ROS induces the liberation of zinc (Zn) from intracellular Zn stores and Zn-dependent cell death. Therefore, Zn is thought to function as a second messenger activated by oxidative stress. In this study, we have demonstrated that Zn released from intracellular sources serves as a key mediator of PAM-induced cell death. Our findings suggest that the conversion of PAM stimulus to a Zn signal is a critical step in the PAM-induced cell death process.

Free Research Field

病態生化学