Cold atmospheric plasma for neural regeneration

In small amounts, reactive oxygen species can promote growth, regeneration, and longevity. This phenomenon could be harnessed to improve the outcome of traumatic brain or spinal cord injury. Our goal is to identify plasma bioactive properties and doses that promote neuronal regeneration. We use precise laser microsurgery to cut a single axon without collateral damage, in an otherwise intact animal and test for neuronal regeneration and recovery of locomotion behavior with and without plasma treatment at various duration and compositions. To establish the treatment protocol, we determined the maximal levels of plasma exposure that are harmless to the nematodes.

We use the nematode C. elegans, a model system in many fields of biology; it is transparent with a fully mapped genome and neuronal connectome. Because C. elegans axon guidance involves conserved pathways as in vertebrates, it is an ideal model to study factors affecting axon regeneration. Our system allows us to address questions about the mechanism of action of plasma at molecular, cellular, and neural network levels, with available mutant strains and the transgenic manipulations we can perform. Further, we use genetically encoded fluorescent biosensors to measure changes in redox state and reactive oxygen species in live animals.