Cell migration and adhesion of a human melanoma cell line is decreased by cold plasma treatment

Treatment of tumor metastasis continues to be of major importance in the field of cancer medicine. The biological responses of the human melanoma cancer cell line SK-Mel-147 after exposure to cold plasma-treated medium were investigated. Plasma reduced tumor cell motility and colony formation while cell metabolism, apoptosis, and cell cycle progression were less affected. Plasma treatment was associated with an inhibition of migration and disorganization of the actin cytoskeleton which were mediated through multiple signaling pathways, as transcriptome-wide gene analysis suggested. These results provide evidence that cold plasma may be beneficial in melanoma treatment.