Atopic dermatitis (AD), the most common form of eczema, is a chronic skin disease characterized by inflammation and itchiness. Patients with eczema often have a disrupted skin barrier caused by insufficient skin moisture, which increases their susceptibility to physical and chemical injuries. At the moment therapy for AD primarily relies on corticosteroid hormones (such as hydrocortisone) for topical treatment, which involves applying medication directly onto affected skin. However, prolonged use of these medications can induce epidermal thinning, tolerance, glucose abnormalities, and high blood pressure. Therefore, finding a new and effective treatment for AD with fewer or no side effects is essential. Cold-atmospheric plasma therapy holds potential in this pursuit.
Eczema on Human Skin (Hand)
Image Source: PansLaos
Recent advancements in plasma physics have sparked an intriguing crossover into medicine, resulting in what is termed plasma-medicine. Physical plasma is an ionized gas produced when energy, like heat or electromagnetic fields, is applied to a neutral gas until it becomes electrically conductive through ionization. It is characterized by the presence of excited gas molecules, charged ions, and free electrons, leading to a highly chaotic and energetic atomic state. Consequently, plasma emits electromagnetic radiation and is highly responsive to electric and magnetic influences. These unique properties distinguish plasma as the fourth state of matter, separate from solids, liquids, and gases.
Plasma Ball Containing Mixture of Gases
Image Source: Daniel Bosma
One notable application of plasma medicine is cold-atmospheric plasma therapy (CAP) – physical plasma created at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. Initial research on CAP in dermatology primarily focused on chronic wounds, where it was discovered to support wound healing and stimulate cell proliferation by regulating the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1α) in human dermal fibroblasts.
More recently, researchers from the Institute of Plasma Physics Chinese Academy of Sciences found that CAP treatment helped heal AD-like skin injuries and demonstrated protective effects against DNFB-induced skin inflammation, endoplasmic-reticulum stress, and oxidative stress in mice. This is achieved by promoting the binding of HIF-1α to the promoter of the manf gene as well as enhancing MANF expression. MANF is known to play an anti-inflammatory role in some acute and chronic inflammatory diseases, but the mechanism is still largely unknown.
Despite the unknown mechanism underlying its efficacy, cold-atmospheric plasma therapy emerges as a novel and promising treatment approach beyond corticosteroids for atopic dermatitis, opening new avenues for further exploration and research in dermatological care.
Featured Image Source: gustavofrazao
