Cold Atmospheric Plasma: A Promising Controller of Cancer Cell States

摘要

Cancer treatment is complicated by the distinct phenotypic attractor states in which cancer cells exist within individual tumors, and inherent plasticity of cells in transiting between these states facilitates the acquisition of drug-resistant and more stem cell-like phenotypes in cancer cells. Controlling these crucial transition switches is therefore critical for the long-term success of any cancer therapy. This paper highlights the most promising avenues for controlling cancer state transition events by cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) to enable the development of efficient tools for cancer prevention and management. The key switches in carcinogenesis can be used to halt or reverse cancer progression, and understanding how CAP can modulate these processes is critical for the development of CAP-based strategies for cancer prevention, detection and effective treatment.