Non-Equilibrium Dielectric Barrier Discharge Treatment of Mesenchymal Stem Cells: Charges and Reactive Oxygen Species Play the Major Role in Cell Death.

Atmospheric pressure non-equilibrium plasmas are efficacious in killing both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. While the mechanism of plasma induced cell death has been thoroughly studied in prokaryotes, detailed investigation of plasma mediated eukaryotic cell death is still pending. When plasma is generated, four major components that interact with cells are produced: electric fields, radiation, charged particles, and neutral gas species.