X.Solé-Martí et al. Thermosensitive hydrogels to deliver reactive species generated by cold atmospheric plasma: a case study with methylcellulose. Biomaterials Science Journal

X. Solé-Martí, T. Vilella, C. Labay, F. Tampieri, M.P. Ginebra, C. Canal. Thermosensitive hydrogels to deliver reactive species generated by cold atmospheric plasma: a case study with methylcellulose. Biomater. Sci., 2022, 10, 6. 3845. OPEN ACCESS.

doi: doi.org/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.