Redox-modulated therapeutics in plasma biomedicine: From chemical reactivity to clinical potential

초록

Reactive species (RS) generated in cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) systems characterized by a complex interplay of physical and chemical factors, have emerged as key mediators in plasma biomedicine due to their unique chemical properties and diverse biological reactivity. This review provides a comprehensive discussion on the major RS generated by CAP, encompassing their generation mechanisms, classification into radicals and nonradicals, physiological actions and biomedical applications. Traditional RS groups such as reactive oxygen species (ROS), reactive nitrogen species (RNS) and reactive sulfur species (RSS), as well as more recently investigated categories including reactive carbon species (RCS), reactive halogen species (RHS), and reactive phosphate species (RPS), are classified as either radicals or nonradicals depending on their generation pathways. These RS interact with biomolecules through mechanisms such as lipid peroxidation, DNA damage, and protein modification, which underlie a wide range of biomedical effects. Consequently, CAP-generated RS have been actively investigated for their therapeutic applications in cancer treatment, anti-inflammatory, immunotherapy, and tissue regeneration strategies. Finally, hypotheses, experimental gaps, and technical challenges associated with less-studies RS are analyzed, underscoring the importance of biocompatibility assessment, methodological standardization, and mechanistic elucidation for the advancement of plasma biomedicine. Therefore, RS-based plasma technology is proposed as a next-generation precision biomedical platform, offering significant potential for the development of tailored, tissue-specific therapeutic strategies. © 2026

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