Anticancer Activity of Liquid Treated with Microwave Plasma-Generated Gas through Macrophage Activation

Abstract EN

Reactive nitrogen species (RNS), including nitric oxide (NO⋅) has been known as one of the key regulatory molecules in the immune system.

In this study, we generated RNS-containing water treated with microwave plasma-generated gas in which the major component was nitric oxide (PGNO), and the effect on the macrophage polarization was investigated.

The RNS-containing water was diluted in complete cell culture media (PGNO-solution) into the concentration that did not induce cell death in RAW 264.7 murine macrophages.

PGNO-solution upregulates M1-type macrophage activation and downregulates the characteristics of M2-type macrophage at the transcriptional level.

In addition, the PGNO-solution-treated M2-like macrophages had higher potential in killing melanoma cells.

The anticancer potential was also investigated in a syngeneic mouse model.

Our results show that PGNO-solution has the potential to convert the fate of macrophages, suggesting PGNO-solution treatment as a supportive method for controlling the function of macrophages under the tumor microenvironment.