Plasma activated liquid synergistically enhances response to radiation for improved cancer therapy

Plasma activated liquid (PAL) is an emerging cancer treatment. Two prostate cell lines and one melanoma cell line were used in clonogenic assays to assess the cytotoxicity of PAL and radiation individually and in combination, using the multiplicative survival method to quantify interactions between the treatments. PAL applied before a dose of radiation synergistically increases cytotoxicity in cancer cells, while in immortalized normal cells, the combined treatment was found to be antagonistic. These results demonstrate the potential to improve the therapeutic window of cancer treatment, giving a higher cancer response rate with less toxicity.

Automated summary

The study shows that plasma activated liquid can enhance the cytotoxicity of radiation on cancer cells while exhibiting an antagonistic effect on normal cells. These findings demonstrate the potential to improve cancer treatment efficacy and reduce toxicity.