Influence of plasma oxidation on proteins: modeling at the molecular level

Recently, the use of cold atmospheric plasmas for cancer therapy has become one of the most exciting topics of plasma application. Despite promising results from a large number of studies, the underlying mechanisms by which plasma acts on cancer cells are still elusive and require more thorough fundamental investigations. In this account, an overview is provided on our latest computational studies performed to investigate the interaction mechanisms of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species generated by cold atmospheric plasma with specific proteins relevant for cancer (treatment). In particular, the main attention is paid on the effect of these plasma species on the permeability of aquaporin and cystine/glutamate transporter xCT, used as model systems for integral membrane proteins. The simulation results help to gain insight in the underlying mechanisms of the noticeable rise of plasma-induced reactive species observed in cancer cells compared to normal cells, thereby improving overall understanding on the role of integral membrane proteins in the selective anticancer capacity of cold atmospheric plasma.

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