Background Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) is widely used in the cancer therapy field. This type of plasma is very close to room temperature. This paper illustrates the effects of CAP on breast cancer tissues both in vivo and in vitro. Methods The mouse mammary adenocarcinoma cell line AN3 was used for the in vivo study, and the MCF7, AMJ13, AMN3, and HBL cell lines were used for the in vitro study. A floating electrode-dielectric barrier discharge (FE-DBD) system was used. The cold plasma produced by the device was tested against breast cancer cells. Results The induced cytotoxicity percentages were 61.7%, 68% and 58.07% for the MCF7, AMN3, and AMJ13 cell lines, respectively, whereas the normal breast tissue HBL cell line exhibited very little or no cytotoxicity. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) were measured, and we found that more ROS were generated under the impact of CAP in cancer cells, whereas the normal HBL cell line had the lowest ROS level. The in vivo study showed that CAP treatment could reduce the volume of treated tumors compared to those in untreated mice. Conclusions CAP has anticancer effects both in vitro and in vivo and this effect is mediated by the ROS and induce apoptosis in p53 independent pathway. the current method is promising for breast cancer therapy.
