Stimulation of monocytes by cold atmospheric plasma by bioinformatic and experimental methods

Author: Taylor Bright, Department of Biomedical Engineering

Mentor: Dr. Prasoon Diwakar, Department of Mechanical Engineering

The treatment of diabetic complications has increased in cost to reaching nearly one in every four dollars Americans spend on healthcare. The drastic number of individuals affected in coordination with the cost of treatment has led to a boost in research over recent years. The use of cold atmospheric plasma [CAP] is a potential mechanical option for the stimulation of the primary signaling molecules known as cytokines. The objective of CAP is to stimulate these cytokines because of their role as the proteins responsible for transferring danger signals between cells and induce inflammation. Our bioinformatic results demonstrated that the use of CAP treatment on the monocytes produces a mix of effects on inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines. The carefully regulated treatment leads to the increased expression of the wound healing response and factors critical to the immune system. A membrane probe on the surface of Fetal Liver Macrophages was used with an AKT/PI3K tag to determine pathways activated by the therapy and image the morphological changes. The pH of the cells and their media were lowered throughout the treatments, indicating the stimulation of the immune system by these species. Future experiments will review the concentration of cytokines released by the macrophages. Our experimental and bioinformatic results show that the treatment of CAP and EP have a positive role in regulating the immune system in the context of type 2 diabetes. This treatment would be a novel therapy for individuals with T2D which could be administered by localized delivery of CAP to the pancreas and surrounding tissues. Future work will emphasize the genetic pathways triggered by the ROS via qPCR analysis and additional sequencing methods.