Anticancer Effects of Plasma-Treated Water Solutions from Clinically Approved Infusion Liquids Supplemented with Organic Molecules.

Water solutions treated by cold atmospheric plasmas (CAPs) currently stand out in the field of cancer treatment as sources of exogenous blends of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS). It is well known that the balance of RONS inside both eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells is directly involved in physiological as well as pathological pathways. Also, organic molecules including phenols could exert promising anticancer effects, mostly attributed to their pro-oxidant ability in vitro and in vivo to generate RONS like O2-, H2O2, and a mixture of potentially cytotoxic compounds. By our vision of combining the efficacy of plasma-produced RONS and the use of organic molecules, we could synergistically attack cancer cells; yet, so far, this combination, to the best of our knowledge, has been completely unexplored. In this study, l-tyrosine, an amino acid with a phenolic side chain, is added to a physiological solution, often used in clinical practice (SIII) to be exposed to plasma. The efficacy of the gas plasma-oxidized SIII solution, containing tyrosine, was evaluated on four cancer cell lines selected from among tumors with poor prognosis (SHSY-5Y, MCF-7, HT-29, and SW-480). The aim was to induce tumor toxicity and trigger apoptosis pathways. The results clearly indicate that the plasma-treated water solution (PTWS) reduced cell viability and oxygen uptake due to an increase in intracellular ROS levels and activation of apoptosis pathways in all investigated cancer cells, which may be related to the activation of the mitochondrial-mediated and p-JNK/caspase-3 signaling pathways. This research offers improved knowledge about the physiological mechanisms underlying cancer treatment and a valid method to set up a prompt, adequate, and effective cancer treatment in the clinic.

Plasma Treated Water Solutions in Cancer Treatments: The Contrasting Role of RNS.

Plasma Treated Water Solutions (PTWS) recently emerged as a novel tool for the generation of Reactive Oxygen and Nitrogen Species (ROS and RNS) in liquids. The presence of ROS with a strong oxidative power, like hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), has been proposed as the main effector for the cancer-killing properties of PTWS. A protective role has been postulated for RNS, with nitric oxide (NO) being involved in the activation of antioxidant responses and cell survival. However, recent evidences proved that NO-derivatives in proper mixtures with ROS in PTWS could enhance rather than reduce the selectivity of PTWS-induced cancer cell death through the inhibition of specific antioxidant cancer defenses. In this paper we discuss the formation of RNS in different liquids with a Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD), to show that NO is absent in PTWS of complex composition like plasma treated (PT)-cell culture media used for in vitro experiments, as well as its supposed protective role. Nitrite anions (NO2-) instead, present in our PTWS, were found to improve the selective death of Saos2 cancer cells compared to EA.hy926 cells by decreasing the cytotoxic threshold of H2O2 to non-toxic values for the endothelial cell line.

A Synergistic Effect of Reactive Oxygen and Reactive Nitrogen Species in Plasma Activated Liquid Media Triggers Astrocyte Wound Healing.

Astrocyte proliferation and migration toward injured Central Nervous System (CNS) areas are key features of astrogliosis and glial scar formation. Even though it is known that intracellular and environmental Reactive Oxygen and Nitrogen Species (RONS) affect astrocyte behaviour in physiological and pathophysiological conditions, their effects on the migration and growth of astrocytes are still unclear. Plasma-technologies are emerging in medicine as a tool to generate RONS for treating cells directly or through Plasma Activated Liquid Media (PALM). In this paper, we show for the first time how the use of PALM can modulate both astrocyte growth and migration as a function of active species produced by plasma in liquids. Our results show that PALM, generated by means of cold atmospheric pressure plasmas fed with N2, air or O2, can modulate astrocyte behaviour depending on the content of hydrogen peroxide and nitrite in the liquid. In particular, H2O2 enriched PALM induced a negative effect on cell growth associated with the mild wound healing improvement of primary astrocytes, in a scratch assay. Nitrite enriched PALM induced a selective effect on the wound healing without affecting cell growth. PALM containing a more balanced level of H2O2 and NO2- were able to affect cell growth, as well as significantly ameliorate wound healing. None of the PALM investigated induced upregulation of the gliotic inflammatory marker glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), or of the astrocyte markers Aquaporin-4 (AQP4) and Connexin-43 (Cx-43) analysed by Western blot. Finally, immunofluorescence analysis revealed the presence of NO2- able to induce elongated protrusions at the front end of wounded astrocytes in the direction of cell migration. With our study we believe to have shown that PALM offer a novel tool to modulate astrocyte behaviour and that they are promising candidates for controlling astrogliosis in the case of CNS injuries.

ZnO Nanostructures with Antibacterial Properties Prepared by a Green Electrochemical-Thermal Approach.

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures are widely applied materials, and are also capable of antimicrobial action. They can be obtained by several methods, which include physical and chemical approaches. Considering the recent rise of green and low-cost synthetic routes for nanomaterial development, electrochemical techniques represent a valid alternative to biogenic synthesis. Following a hybrid electrochemical-thermal method modified by our group, here we report on the aqueous electrosynthesis of ZnO nanomaterials based on the use of alternative stabilizers. We tested both benzyl-hexadecyl-dimetylammonium chloride (BAC) and poly-diallyl-(dimethylammonium) chloride (PDDA). Transmission electron microscopy images showed the formation of rod-like and flower-like structures with a variable aspect-ratio. The combination of UV-Vis, FTIR and XPS spectroscopies allowed for the univocal assessment of the material composition as a function of different thermal treatments. In fact, the latter guaranteed the complete conversion of the as-prepared colloidal materials into stoichiometric ZnO species without excessive morphological modification. The antimicrobial efficacy of both materials was tested against Bacillus subtilis as a Gram-positive model microorganism.

Plasma-activated medium triggers cell death and the presentation of immune activating danger signals in melanoma and pancreatic cancer cells.

Over the past decade, cold atmospheric plasmas have shown promising application in cancer therapy. The therapeutic use of plasma-activated media is a topic addressed in an emerging field known as plasma pharmacy. In oncology, plasma-activated media are  used to harness the therapeutic effects of oxidant species when they come in contact with cancer cells. Among several factors that contribute to the anticancer effect of plasma-activated liquid media (PALM), H2O2 and NO derivatives likely play a key role in the apoptotic pathway. Despite the significant amount of literature produced in recent years, a full understanding of the mechanisms by which PALM exert their activity against cancer cells is limited. In this paper, a sealed dielectric-barrier discharge was used to disentangle the effect of reactive nitrogen species (RNS) from that of reactive oxygen species (ROS) on cancer cells. Two cancers characterized by poor prognosis have been investigated: metastatic melanoma and pancreatic cancer. Both tumour models exposed to PALM rich in H2O2 showed a reduction in proliferation and an increase in calreticulin exposure and ATP release, suggesting the potential use of activated media as an inducer of immunogenic cell death via activation of the innate immune system.

Improving Internal Cell Colonization of Porous Scaffolds with Chemical Gradients Produced by Plasma Assisted Approaches.

Cell colonization of the surrounding environment is a very significant process in both physiological and pathological events. In order to understand the tissue regeneration process and thereby provide guidance principles for designing new biomaterials, it is of paramount importance to study the cell colonization in the presence of physical, chemical, and biological cues. Flat "gradient" materials are generally used with this purpose. Three dimensional gradient scaffolds mimicking more precisely the situation in vivo are somewhat more complex to fabricate and characterize. Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering (TE) made of hydrophobic synthetic polymers do not allow good cell colonization: far from their periphery, in fact, internal cell colonization is usually low. In this research poly-ε caprolactone (PCL) scaffolds have been "decorated" with chemical gradients both on top and along their thickness by means of cold plasma processes, in order to improve cell colonization of their core. Plasma treatments with a mixture of argon and oxygen (Ar/O2), as well as plasma deposition of differently cross-linked poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)-like coatings, have been performed. This study establishes that cross-linked PEO-like domains interspaced with native PCL ones deposited only on top of the scaffold (i.e., coating that penetrates less than 300 µm inside the scaffold) are more effective in promoting cell colonization across the scaffolds than the other tested materials including superhydrophilic samples and that ones produced by tested double step approaches. Last but not least, one result of this research is that, in the case of plasma coatings with low deposition rates and porous materials with a low pore interconnectivity, it is possible to improve penetration of low pressure plasma active species inside the scaffold's core thorough a pretreatment of the porous materials (i.e., penetration up to 4500 mm far from topside).

Biosilica from Living Diatoms: Investigations on Biocompatibility of Bare and Chemically Modified Thalassiosira weissflogii Silica Shells.

In the past decade, mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) with a large surface area and pore volume have attracted considerable attention for their application in drug delivery and biomedicine. Here we propose biosilica from diatoms as an alternative source of mesoporous materials in the field of multifunctional supports for cell growth: the biosilica surfaces were chemically modified by traditional silanization methods resulting in diatom silica microparticles functionalized with 3-mercaptopropyl-trimethoxysilane (MPTMS) and 3-aminopropyl-triethoxysilane (APTES). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses revealed that the -SH or -NH2 were successfully grafted onto the biosilica surface. The relationship among the type of functional groups and the cell viability was established as well as the interaction of the cells with the nanoporosity of frustules. These results show that diatom microparticles are promising natural biomaterials suitable for cell growth, and that the surfaces, owing to the mercapto groups, exhibit good biocompatibility.

Part per trillion label-free electronic bioanalytical detection.

A Functional Bio-Interlayer Organic Field-Effect Transistor (FBI-OFET) sensor, embedding a streptavidin protein capturing layer, capable of performing label-free selective electronic detection of biotin at 3 part per trillion (mass fraction) or 15 pM, is proposed here. The response shows a logarithmic dependence spanning over 5 orders of magnitude of analyte concentration. The optimization of the FBI analytical performances is achieved by depositing the capturing layer through a controllable Layer-by-Layer (LbL) assembly, while an easy processable spin-coating deposition is proposed for potential low-cost production of equally highly performing sensors. Furthermore, a Langmuirian adsorption based model allows rationalizing the analyte binding process to the capturing layer. The FBI-OFET device is shown to operate also with an antibody interlayer as well as with an ad hoc designed microfluidic system. These occurrences, along with the proven extremely high sensitivity and selectivity, open to FBI-OFETs consideration as disposable electronic strip-tests for assays in biological fluids requiring very low detection limits.

Cell adhesion on nanotextured slippery superhydrophobic substrates.

In this work, the response of Saos2 cells to polymeric surfaces with different roughness/density of nanometric dots produced by a tailored plasma-etching process has been studied. Topographical features have been evaluated by atomic force microscopy, while wetting behavior, in terms of water-surface adhesion energy, has been evaluated by measurements of drop sliding angle. Saos2 cytocompatibility has been investigated by scanning electron microscopy, fluorescent microscopy, and optical microscopy. The similarity in outer chemical composition has allowed isolation of the impact of the topographical features on cellular behavior. The results indicate that Saos2 cells respond differently to surfaces with different nanoscale topographical features, clearly showing a certain inhibition in cell adhesion when the nanoscale is particularly small. This effect appears to be attenuated in surfaces with relatively bigger nanofeatures, though these express a more pronounced slippery/dry wetting character.

Osteoblast-like cell behavior on plasma deposited micro/nanopatterned coatings.

The behavior of cells in terms of cell-substrate and cell-cell interaction is dramatically affected by topographical characteristics as shape, height, and distance, encountered in their physiological environment. The combination of chemistry and topography of a biomaterial surface influences in turns, important biological responses as inflammatory events at tissue-implant interface, angiogenesis, and differentiation of cells. By disentangling the effect of material chemistry from the topographical one, the possibility of controlling the cell behavior can be provided. In this paper, surfaces with different roughness and morphology were produced by radiofrequency (RF, 13.56 MHz) glow discharges, fed with hexafluoropropylene oxide (C(3)F(6)O), in a single process. Coatings with different micro/nanopatterns and the same uppermost chemical composition were produced by combining two plasma deposition processes, with C(3)F(6)O and tetrafluoroethylene (C(2)F(4)), respectively. The behavior of osteoblast-like cells toward these substrates clearly shows a strict dependence of cell adhesion and proliferation on surface roughness and morphology.

Increasing cell adhesion on plasma deposited fluorocarbon coatings by changing the surface topography.

In designing new biomaterials, it is of outstanding importance to consider how cells respond to specific chemical and topographical features on the material surface. The behavior of most cell types in vivo is strictly related to specific chemical and topographical cues that characterize the extra cellular environment. In particular, during their lives cells react to topographical patterns such as those of the extracellular matrix (ECM), of micro and/or nanometric dimensions. The production of micrometric and/or nanometric features on artificial materials usually involves expensive and time-consuming methods of manufacturing, such as electron beam and colloidal lithography. In this article, different "Teflon-like" structured surfaces were deposited from tetrafluoroethylene (C(2)F(4))-fed plasmas, for the study of cell adhesion and growth. The reaction of different cell lines to different topographical features was evaluated and compared with cell behavior on flat samples with the same chemical composition. Cell adhesion was calculated from area covered by cells at different time of culture. Beside this, cell proliferation was determined with the MTT test. Cell morphology and filopodia interaction with the nanofeatures were also estimated by optical and scanning electron microscopy. A dramatic difference both in adhesion and growth was found between cells seeded on flat and rough surfaces with the density and spreading of adhered cells varying as a function of the roughness of coatings.

Phototoxicity and cytotoxicity of chlorophyll a/cyclodextrins complexes on Jurkat cells.

The aggregation status of chlorophyll a (Chl a) and the ability of four cyclodextrins, hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HP-beta-CD), hydroxypropyl-gamma-cyclodextrin (HP-gamma-CD), heptakis(2,6-di-O-methyl)-beta-cyclodextrin (DIMEB), and heptakis(2,3,6-tri-O-methyl)-beta-cyclodextrin (TRIMEB), to solubilize the pigment in the complete cellular medium RPMI 1640 was estimated by means of UV-Vis absorption and static resonance light scattering (RLS) measurements. The results indicate that the pigment interacts with cyclodextrins in the cellular medium differently to that observed in water. The cytotoxic and phototoxic activity of these complexes towards human leukemia T-lymphocytes (Jurkat cells) was tested by means of experiments aimed to discriminate between the intrinsic toxicity and the toxicity induced by light. The overall data indicate that the HP-beta-CD is the cyclodextrins having the best characteristics to form with Chl a a potential supramolecular system for the photodynamic therapy.

Biotransformation and liver-specific functions of human hepatocytes in culture on RGD-immobilized plasma-processed membranes.

In this paper we report on the metabolic response of human hepatocytes grown on polyethersulfone membranes surface modified with a plasma-deposited acrylic acid coating and RGD peptide covalently immobilized through a "spacer arm" molecule. The modified surfaces were characterized by means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and water contact angle measurements. The performance of modified and unmodified membranes was evaluated by assessing the expression of liver specific and biotransformation functions of human hepatocytes. Diclofenac, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, was used to investigate the biotransformation functions. Surface-modified membranes elicit specific cellular responses and induce hepatocytes to enhance the synthesis rate of albumin and urea, particularly in the presence of diclofenac. Also the biotransformation functions were expressed at high levels.

Stable plasma-deposited acrylic acid surfaces for cell culture applications.

Continuous and modulated glow discharges were used to deposit thin films from acrylic acid vapors. Different deposition regimes were investigated, and their effect on chemical composition, morphology and homogeneity of the coatings, as well as on their stability in water and resistance to sterilization. Stable films were utilized in cell adhesion experiments with human fibroblasts.