%0 Journal Article
%T Thermosensitive hydrogels to deliver reactive species generated by cold atmospheric plasma: a case study with methylcellulose.
%A Solé-Martí X
%A Vilella T
%A Labay C
%A Tampieri F
%A Ginebra MP
%A Canal C
%J Biomater Sci
%V 10
%N 14
%D Jul 2022 12
%M 35678531
%F 7.59
%R 10.1039/d2bm00308b
%X Hydrogels have been recently proposed as suitable materials to generate reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) upon gas-plasma treatment, and postulated as promising alternatives to conventional cancer therapies. Acting as delivery vehicles that allow a controlled release of RONS to the diseased site, plasma-treated hydrogels can overcome some of the limitations presented by plasma-treated liquids in in vivo therapies. In this work, we optimized the composition of a methylcellulose (MC) hydrogel to confer it with the ability to form a gel at physiological temperatures while remaining in the liquid phase at room temperature to allow gas-plasma treatment with suitable formation of plasma-generated RONS. MC hydrogels demonstrated the capacity for generation, prolonged storage and release of RONS. This release induced cytotoxic effects on the osteosarcoma cancer cell line MG-63, reducing its cell viability in a dose-response manner. These promising results postulate plasma-treated thermosensitive hydrogels as good candidates to provide local anticancer therapies.