Review of the Current State of Medical Plasma Technology and its Potential Applications

Plasma technology is entering a new chapter through medical use. Medical devices based on plasma technology have recently been tested for the biochemical effects of plasma on cells and tissues. The implementation of plasma technology in medicine was made possible by the introduction of non-thermal, cold plasma emitted at atmospheric pressure. To date, the putative biological effects of plasma include decontamination, disinfection, tooth bleaching and accelerated wound healing. In addition, cold plasma treatment has some potential as a novel cancer therapeutic. Plasma is currently believed to exert its diverse effects mainly by regulating both intra-and extracellular oxidationreduction reactions as a result of the generation of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. Interestingly, the biological effects of plasma exhibited hormesis, which is a biphasic response depending on the degree or amount of exposure. Ongoing investigations focus largely on elucidating how the modulation of oxidation-reduction by plasma affects the behavior of cells and helps determine the optimal treatment parameters maximizing the favorable effects of cold plasma. Although accumulating evidence indicates the role of cold plasma as the next-generation therapeutic in various medical fields, more detailed characterization of the biomolecular effects of plasma appears to be the next critical step, along with clinical studies designed to validate its clinical efficacy and safety.