New minimally invasive, cost-effective method shows promise in treating cancer without harming healthy cells

A
Purdue
innovation,
called
PLASMAT,
combines
three
emerging
techniques
that
appear
promising
in
the
fight
against
most
types
of
cancer.

The
method,
called
PLASMAT
–
Plasma
Technologies
for
a
Healthier
Tomorrow
–
combines
three
emerging
techniques
that
appear
promising
in
the
fight
against
most
types
of
cancer.
PLASMAT
combines
cold
atmospheric
plasma
(CAP)
with
electroporation
and/or
photoporation
to
kill
cancerous
cells
without
harming
nearby
healthy
ones.
The
method
has
proven
effective
in
the
laboratory
against
several
types
of
cancerous
cells
and
cancer
lines,
including
types
of
breast
cancer,
mouth/cervical
cancer
and
prostate
cancer.

CAP,
a
near
room
temperature
ionized
gas,
is
used
to
introduce
active
oxygen
or
nitrogen
species
into
the
cancerous
cells,
tissues
or
tumors.
An
electric
field
or
a
laser
is
used
to
open
the
membranes
of
the
cells
for
introduction
of
the
species.
This
introduction
leads
to
apoptosis,
or
killing,
of
cancer
cells
once
a
critical
level
of
reactive
species
is
reached.
Nearby
healthy
cells
are
either
unaffected
or
minimally
affected
to
a
point
they
are
able
to
easily
restore
themselves
to
a
normal
level.

“Using
these
three
techniques
in
a
combined
method
has
been
shown
to
be
70
to
90
percent
more
effective
in
killing
cancerous
cells
than
other
treatments,”
said
Prasoon
Diwakar,
a
postdoctoral
research
associate
in
the Purdue
School
of
Nuclear
Engineering,
who
developed
PLASMAT
along
with
Ahmed
Hassanein,
the
Paul
L.
Wattelet
Distinguished
Professor
of
Nuclear
Engineering.
“We
are
using
the
synergy
of
these
three
treatments
to
provide
an
efficient,
non-toxic
and
cost-effective
approach
to
fight
cancer
with
minimal
chemical
and
toxic
effects.”

The National
Cancer
Institute reports
that
more
than
1,600
people
die
each
day
in
the
United
States
from
cancer,
along
with
about
5,000
new
cases
diagnosed
each
day.
Although
current
treatments
of
chemotherapy,
radiation
and
surgery
have
proven
effective,
they
can
also
be
expensive,
weaken
the
immune
system
and
not
work
well
for
all
patients.

Diwakar
said
PLASMAT
does
not
introduce
chemicals
into
the
body
during
treatment
and
is
significantly
less
expensive
than
chemotherapy
or
radiation.
The
technique
is
also
more
mobile
than
traditional
cancer
treatments
because
the
required
equipment
is
small
and
easily
accessible
in
most
medical
settings.

“Our
method
is
easy
to
integrate
with
existing
method
technologies,”
Diwakar
said.
“PLASMAT
can
be
combined
with
nanomedicines
for
further
effective
cancer
treatment.”

A
patent
application
has
been
filed
by
the Purdue
Office
of
Technology
Commercialization,
and
the
method
is
available
for
licensing.

About
Purdue
Office
of
Technology
Commercialization

The Purdue
Office
of
Technology
Commercialization operates
one
of
the
most
comprehensive
technology
transfer
programs
among
leading
research
universities
in
the
U.S.
Services
provided
by
this
office
support
the
economic
development
initiatives
of
Purdue
University
and
benefit
the
university’s
academic
activities.
The
office
is
managed
by
the
Purdue
Research
Foundation,
which
received
the
2016
Innovation
and
Economic
Prosperity
Universities
Award
for
Innovation
from
the
Association
of
Public
and
Land-grant
Universities.
For
more
information
about
funding
and
investment
opportunities
in
startups
based
on
a
Purdue
innovation,
contact
the
Purdue
Foundry
at
foundry@prf.org.
For
more
information
on
licensing
a
Purdue
innovation,
contact
the
Office
of
Technology
Commercialization
at innovation@prf.org.
The Purdue
Research
Foundation is
a
private,
nonprofit
foundation
created
to
advance
the
mission
of
Purdue
University.

Purdue
Research
Foundation
contact: Chris
Adam,
765-588-3341, cladam@prf.org

Source: Prasoon
Diwakar, pdiwakar@purdue.edu