Innovative Use of Plasma-Activated Medium Shows Promise in Treating Rare Synovial Sarcoma

Researchers led by Osaka Metropolitan University have made a breakthrough in the fight against synovial sarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of soft tissue cancer. The study focused on the application of plasma-activated medium (PAM), produced by exposing a mammalian cell culture medium to non-thermal atmospheric-pressure plasma, which generates reactive species capable of targeting cancer cells.

The team conducted comprehensive in vitro tests using human synovial sarcoma cells, exposing them to PAM for five minutes. The results were significant, with only 21% of the cancer cells surviving post-treatment compared to untreated controls. Building on this, in vivo experiments involved daily injections of PAM around tumors in mice with synovial sarcoma. Over four weeks, these treatments led to a reduction in tumor volume by approximately 54% and a decrease in tumor weight by nearly 41%, demonstrating the potential effectiveness of PAM as a therapeutic agent.

Lead researchers, including Graduate School of Medicine student Hana Yao, Associate Professor Hiromitsu Toyoda, and Professor Hiroaki Nakamura, highlighted the promising outcomes. Professor Toyoda emphasized that the treatment showed no evident side effects such as weight loss or decreased appetite in the animal models, suggesting a favorable safety profile.

This pioneering work, published in Biomedicines, suggests that plasma-activated mediums could become a new avenue for treating synovial sarcoma. The researchers aim to further refine this approach and explore clinical applications, potentially offering a novel and less invasive treatment option for patients with this challenging cancer.

Source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-05-rare-cancer-synovial-sarcoma-plasma.html