Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common type of bone tumor which appears in long bones and mainly affects children, adolescents and young adults. Despite its low incidence, it is ranked among the most frequent cause of cancer-related death in child. Current therapy for OS consist in surgical resection of the tumor, combined with chemotherapy or radiation, but patient survival still remains relatively low (50-60%) and it is associated with systemic toxicity and side effects. For these reasons, innovative anti-cancer therapies are of interest.
Cold atmospheric plasmas (CAP) are a highly reactive state of the matter that can be created by applying an electrical discharge to a gas. CAP are a source of reactive molecules, UV and electromagnetic fields that can be employed for different biomedical purposes, like antimicrobial sterilization and wound healing. Recently, CAP have also been suggested to target a wide range cancer cells without damaging healthy cells and tissues.
Although further investigations are needed, the results of the present work provide evidence of PCL as a promising tool for OS treatment.