Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Skeletal Cell Differentiation Is Enhanced By Atmospheric Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasma Treatment., Marla J Steinbeck, Natalie Chernets, Jun Zhang, Deepa S Kurpad, Gregory Fridman, Alexander Fridman, Theresa A. Freeman

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Papers

Enhancing chondrogenic and osteogenic differentiation is of paramount importance in providing effective regenerative therapies and improving the rate of fracture healing. This study investigated the potential of non-thermal atmospheric dielectric barrier discharge plasma (NT-plasma) to enhance chondrocyte and osteoblast proliferation and differentiation. Although the exact mechanism by which NT-plasma interacts with cells is undefined, it is known that during treatment the atmosphere is ionized generating extracellular reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS and RNS) and an electric field. Appropriate NT-plasma conditions were determined using lactate-dehydrogenase release, flow cytometric live/dead assay, flow cytometric cell cycle analysis, and Western blots to evaluate …