Abstract

Many studies have shown, using two-dimensional culture, that low-temperature plasma-jet-activated medium (PAM) inhibits the growth of various tumor cells, whereas its effects and mechanisms in the three-dimensional (3D) culture system remain unclear. In this study, a 3D cell culture model was used to study the inhibition of tumorigenesis of PAM in vitro. Our results showed that PAM significantly suppressed tumor spheroid formation and downregulated stemness-related genes of A549 cells “before,” “during,” and “after” sphere formation. Additionally, we found that the specific signature of reactive oxygen species-induced autophagy was involved in the antiproliferation effect of PAM on A549 spheroids. Our study complemented and extended the application of PAM for its anticancer effects in lung adenocarcinoma cancer.