Plasma Therapy

A team of Russian and German researchers has shown that a ten-minute treatment with low temperature plasma was able to not only kill multi-drug-resistant bacteria, but also increase the rate of wound healing. The team hopes that the treatment can be used to treat chronic infections. The team published their findings in the Journal of Medical Microbiology in January.

The team from the Gamaleya Institue of Epidemiology and Microbiology in Moscow tested the treatment against two bacterial species: Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus, which are common culprits in chronic wound infection. These bacteria form biofilms by growing together in protective layers. The team showed that the plasma was able to kill 99% of the laboratory-grown bacteria and 90% of bacteria in a rat skin wound.

Plasmas are known as the fourth state of matter and are created when high-energy processes strip atoms of their electrons and produce ionized gas flows at high temperatures. The recent development of cold plasma, which ranges from 35-40 degrees Celsius, has excited researchers because of its potential applications in treating bacterial infections.

Dr. Svetlana Ermolaeva of the research team says, “Cold plasmas are able to kill bacteria by damaging microbial DNA and surface structures without being harmful to human tissues.” This is even in the case of more resistant biofilms that the bacteria form. The team believes that plasma treatment to kill bacteria may become a practical alternative to antibiotics in the future. The biggest advantage of plasma treatment is that it is non-specific which makes it more difficult for bacteria to develop any kind of resistance.

I found this article to be interesting because it deals with alternatives to antibiotics. There is a widespread of abuse in treatment of human diseases by using antibiotics inappropriately which is leading to more and more resistant bacteria. The abuse of the drugs also extends to the production of food, since many animals such as cows are given antibiotics to preventatively ward off disease. This article shows an alternative to antibiotics and gives hope to find a treatment to kill bacteria while keeping them from becoming too dangerous by developing into hardier strains. The biggest promise that plasma treatment of bacteria has to offer is its non-specific nature. This is what prevents bacteria from being able to develop a resistance to the treatment.

Article Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101215092248.htm
Alexander J. Quante '13 -- VTPP 435