FORSCI. × Medical College of HUST

Fundamental Research on Cold Atmospheric Plasma (CAP) for Skin Rejuvenation Successfully Completed

  What happens when Cold Atmospheric Plasma (CAP) meets skin rejuvenation science?

  Recently, FORSCI. and the Medical College of HUST successfully completed a collaborative research project investigating the anti-aging potential of Cold Atmospheric Plasma (CAP) technology.

  Through comprehensive cellular, molecular, histological, and animal studies, the research systematically explored both the efficacy and biological mechanisms of CAP in skin rejuvenation, providing scientific evidence for the future development of non-invasive anti-aging technologies.

1. Research Background: Skin Aging Is More Than a Cosmetic Concern

  Skin is the largest organ of the human body and serves as a visible indicator of aging. 

  Research has shown that skin aging affects not only appearance, but also overall health through mechanisms such as systemic inflammation and abnormal cellular signaling.

  Current anti-aging approaches—including lasers, radiofrequency devices, and microcurrent technologies—can be effective, but are often associated with discomfort or thermal damage.

  Cold Atmospheric Plasma (CAP) has emerged as a promising technology due to its ability to generate biologically active species, including reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS), while remaining non-thermal, controllable, and safe.

2. Research Objectives: Systematically Evaluating the Anti-Aging Potential of CAP

  This project focused on the following objectives:

• Establish cellular and animal models of aging
• Evaluate the effects of CAP on fibroblast viability, migration, and reversal of cellular senescence
• Assess the therapeutic effects of CAP on photoaged skin in mice
• Investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms and biological safety of CAP treatment

3. Key Findings

(1) Cellular Studies: CAP Reverses Oxidative Stress–Induced Senescence

• CCK-8 and EdU assays demonstrated that CAP significantly restored the proliferative capacity of H₂O₂-induced senescent fibroblasts.
• Scratch assays showed enhanced cell migration and repair capacity following CAP treatment.
• SA-β-gal staining revealed a significant reduction in senescent cell populations.
• ROS staining confirmed effective clearance of excessive intracellular reactive oxygen species.
• qPCR analysis demonstrated increased COL1A1 expression and decreased p16/p21 expression.

Conclusion: CAP effectively reverses oxidative stress–induced fibroblast senescence and restores a more youthful cellular phenotype.

(2) Animal Studies: CAP Repairs Photoaged Skin

• Model: C57BL/6 mice exposed to combined UVA and UVB irradiation for 8 weeks
• Treatment: CAP treatment twice daily for 20 seconds per session over 7 consecutive days

Major findings:

Conclusion: CAP effectively repairs photoaged skin and improves both collagen loss and inflammatory status.

(3) Safety Assessment: Non-Thermal and Well Tolerated

• Infrared thermal imaging showed no significant increase in skin temperature during treatment.
• Body weight trends remained consistent between treated and control groups.
• Hematology analysis and histological examination of major organs showed no abnormalities.

Conclusion: CAP demonstrated a high level of safety with no evidence of systemic toxicity at effective treatment doses.

(4) Transcriptomic Analysis Reveals the Molecular Mechanisms of CAP-Mediated Skin Rejuvenation

• Transcriptomic analysis revealed significant upregulation of pathways associated with collagen chain trimerization and collagen biosynthesis-related enzymes.
• Protein–protein interaction network analysis identified multiple key anti-aging targets, providing a clear direction for future mechanistic studies and clinical translation.

4. Future Applications of CAP Technology

  This study also highlights the broad potential of CAP technology across dermatology and regenerative medicine:

Hair regeneration through ROS- and IL-2-mediated follicle activation

Chronic wound repair through antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and regenerative effects

Immune regulation for psoriasis and atopic dermatitis

Selective targeting of skin cancer cells

Enhanced transdermal drug delivery and absorption

5. Completion Is Only the Beginning

  FORSCI. remains committed to a research philosophy centered on scientific evidence and interdisciplinary innovation.

This collaboration with the Medical College of HUST not only validates the scientific value of CAP technology in skin rejuvenation, but also establishes a strong foundation for future device standardization, clinical translation, and expansion into broader therapeutic applications.