Accelerating Wound Healing Mechanisms with Cold Atmospheric Plasma

The study from May 2019 explored the effectiveness of cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) in speeding up wound healing and sterilizing skin, targeting biofilms and antibiotic-resistant bacteria. CAP, which works at room temperature and produces nitric oxide, was optimized for use. Results showed that a 15-second CAP treatment at a flow rate of 3 liters per minute significantly increased cell growth and survival in keratinocytes and dermal fibroblasts after 48 hours. It also decreased cell death and apoptosis, and enhanced cell migration, leading to complete scratch test wound closure within 24 hours, compared to untreated controls. CAP also demonstrated antimicrobial effects against bacteria such as S. aureus, K. oxytoca, and K. pneumoniae, with species-specific growth reduction after 8 hours. The study concluded that CAP holds potential as a dual-action therapy for faster wound healing and infection control.