A new method of killing just the clonal leukaemia cells has been developed. Thus in future a machine like a dialysis machine could reduce the white blood cell count very fast
This is done with a form of light therapy which has achieved high rates of malignant-cell destruction in studies involving leukemia cell lines.
Within 24 hours after exposure to cold-plasma energy, 90% of leukemia cells had been destroyed. Healthy cells were unaffected because they contained lower levels of reactive species as compared with the cancer cells, as reported in Biotechnology and Engineering.
"Cold plasma induces cancer cells to self-destruct, but it can leave healthy cells unharmed,"Magesh Thiyagarajan, PhD, of Texas A&M University at Corpus Christi, said in a statement.
Conventional plasma energy heats gas molecules to form colored light rays, as seen in plasma televisions. Cold plasma can induce apoptosis or cell necrosis without the heat that can harm healthy cells.
Induction of apoptosis in human myeloid leukemia cells by remote exposure of resistive barrier cold plasma
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