Images of SCaBER Cells Treated by a Low Temperature Plasma Jet

Squamous cell carcinoma of the bladder is a rare type of bladder cancer that forms as a result of chronic irritation of the epithelial lining of the bladder. The cell line used in this paper is SCaBER (ATCC HTB3) derived from squamous cell carcinoma of the human urinary bladder. Current treatments of bladder cancer include surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. However, the cost of these treatments, potential toxicity of the chemotherapeutic agents, and systemic side-effects warrant an alternative to current cancer treatment. In this paper, we present images of SCaBER cells treated by the plasma pencil, a device that generates a low temperature plasma plume at atmospheric pressure. The images show that after plasma treatment of only a few minutes substantial killing of SCaBER cells occur and that the cells die in a delayed manner, postplasma treatment.