Mechanisms of Selective Antitumor Action of Cold Atmospheric Plasma‐Derived Reactive Oxygen and Nitrogen Species

Transformed cells are subject to elimination through intercellular reactive oxygen/nitrogen species (RONS)‐dependent apoptosis‐inducing signaling. Tumor progression, therefore, requires expression of membrane‐bound catalase. Recent research demonstrates that 1 O 2 can inactivate membrane‐bound catalase, thus, inducing the generation of tumor cell‐derived secondary 1 O 2 and RONS‐dependent apoptosis selectively in tumor cells. Crucially, 1 O 2 signaling can result in self‐perpetuating apoptotic signaling from cell‐to‐cell. It is known that CAP contains 1 O 2 and that certain CAP constituents can generate 1 O 2 in solution. The analysis of model experiments performed with defined RONS implies that CAP‐derived 1 O 2 induces the mechanism through which CAP acts selectively against cancer cells in vitro and tumors in vivo. This hypothesis needs to be tested experimentally in order to establish its validity.