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Non-Thermal Plasma Accelerates Astrocyte Regrowth and Neurite Regeneration Following Physical Trauma In Vitro
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Non-Thermal Plasma Accelerates Astrocyte Regrowth and Neurite Regeneration Following Physical Trauma In Vitro

Kritika S. Katiyar, Abraham Lin, Alexander Fridman, Carolyn E. Keating, D. Kacy Cullen and Vandana Miller
Applied sciences, v 9(18), p3747
01 Sep 2019
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/app9183747
Featured in Collection :   UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
url
https://doi.org/10.3390/app9183747View
Published, Version of Record (VoR)CC BY V4.0,  Open

Abstract

Chemistry Chemistry, Multidisciplinary Engineering Engineering, Multidisciplinary Materials Science Materials Science, Multidisciplinary Physical Sciences Physics Physics, Applied Science & Technology Technology
Non-thermal plasma (NTP), defined as a partially ionized gas, is an emerging technology with several biomedical applications, including tissue regeneration. In particular, NTP treatment has been shown to activate endogenous biological processes to promote cell regrowth, differentiation, and proliferation in multiple cell types. However, the effects of this therapy on nervous system regeneration have not yet been established. Accordingly, the current study explored the effects of a nanosecond-pulsed dielectric barrier discharge plasma on neural regeneration. Following mechanical trauma in vitro, plasma was applied either directly to (1) astrocytes alone, (2) neurons alone, or (3) neurons or astrocytes in a non-contact co-culture. Remarkably, we identified NTP treatment intensities that accelerated both neurite regeneration and astrocyte regrowth. In astrocyte cultures alone, an exposure of 20-90 mJ accelerated astrocyte re-growth up to three days post-injury, while neurons required lower treatment intensities (<= 20 mJ) to achieve sub-lethal outgrowth. Following injury to neurons in non-contact co-culture with astrocytes, 20 mJ exposure of plasma to only neurons or astrocytes resulted in increased neurite regeneration at three days post-treatment compared to the untreated, but no enhancement was observed when both cell types were treated. At day seven, although regeneration further increased, NTP did not elicit a significant increase from the control. However, plasma exposure at higher intensities was found to be injurious, underscoring the need to optimize exposure levels. These results suggest that growth-promoting physiological responses may be elicited via properly calibrated NTP treatment to neurons and/or astrocytes. This could be exploited to accelerate neurite re-growth and modulate neuron-astrocyte interactions, thereby hastening nervous system regeneration.

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8 Record Views
16 citations in Web of Science
17 citations in Scopus

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UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This publication has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#3 Good Health and Well-Being

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Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
International collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Physics, Applied
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