Cancer treatment including immunotherapy using discharge plasma

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16H04312
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Power engineering/Power conversion/Electric machinery
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Ono Ryo 東京大学, 大学院新領域創成科学研究科, 准教授 (90323443)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: プラズマ医療 / 癌治療 / 免疫治療 / 活性種

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We performed experiments on mice related to cancer immunotherapy using discharge plasma. It was demonstrated that when a cancer tumor in mouse was treated using plasma, anti-tumor effects also appeared in the same type of cancer tumor in the area not treated with the plasma. Furthermore, the systemic anti-tumor effects were kept for at least more than 3 weeks. Biochemical analyses exhibited that this long-term systemic anti-tumor effect was likely caused by immune response specific to the cancer in the mouse. Reactive species in the plasma were also measured using laser spectroscopy concerning a study of which type of reactive species produced in the plasma are effective for the cancer treatment.

Free Research Field

プラズマ工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究では、申請者が4年前に初めて動物実験で見つけた、プラズマで癌の免疫治療を行える可能性について、マウスを使った動物実験で検証することに成功した。本研究により、転移癌や切除した腫瘍の再発抑制にも効果を発揮しうる癌の免疫治療を、副作用が少なく極めて安価なプラズマで実現できる可能性が示唆され、新しい癌治療の可能性に道を拓いた点で大きな意義をもつ。