Thermosensitive hydrogels to deliver reactive species generated by cold atmospheric plasma: a case study with methylcellulose

Biomater Sci. 2022 Jul 12;10(14):3845-3855. doi: 10.1039/d2bm00308b.

Abstract

Hydrogels have been recently proposed as suitable materials to generate reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) upon gas-plasma treatment, and postulated as promising alternatives to conventional cancer therapies. Acting as delivery vehicles that allow a controlled release of RONS to the diseased site, plasma-treated hydrogels can overcome some of the limitations presented by plasma-treated liquids in in vivo therapies. In this work, we optimized the composition of a methylcellulose (MC) hydrogel to confer it with the ability to form a gel at physiological temperatures while remaining in the liquid phase at room temperature to allow gas-plasma treatment with suitable formation of plasma-generated RONS. MC hydrogels demonstrated the capacity for generation, prolonged storage and release of RONS. This release induced cytotoxic effects on the osteosarcoma cancer cell line MG-63, reducing its cell viability in a dose-response manner. These promising results postulate plasma-treated thermosensitive hydrogels as good candidates to provide local anticancer therapies.

MeSH terms

  • Case-Control Studies
  • Hydrogels / pharmacology
  • Methylcellulose*
  • Plasma Gases*
  • Reactive Oxygen Species / metabolism
  • Temperature

Substances

  • Hydrogels
  • Plasma Gases
  • Reactive Oxygen Species
  • Methylcellulose