Clear superiority of cold plasma therapy in the treatment of chronic wounds

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09/19/2023 23:27

Clear superiority of cold plasma therapy in the treatment of chronic wounds

The Journal of Clinical Medicine (MDPI) has published the interim results of the clinical study “POWER” (“Plasma on chronic Wounds for Epidermal Regeneration”). The randomized, controlled, multicenter clinical study examined the effectiveness of a new form of therapy (cold plasma) for the treatment of chronic, non-healing wounds in comparison to standard therapy.

Chronic wounds represent a significant medical and financial challenge for millions of patients as well as for healthcare systems. Wound care using standard wound therapy (SWT) is currently considered the gold standard. Recent evidence suggests that cold plasma therapy (CPT) offers a promising opportunity to improve chronic wounds. Against this background, the “POWER” study, funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of large-area plasma therapy for the treatment of chronic, non-healing wounds compared to standard wound therapy.

The study shows that the combination of plasma treatment (CPT) with standard wound treatment (SWT) is superior to the current gold standard in terms of effectiveness alone. One of the key results is the significant improvement in the wound healing rate when using CPT therapy by 214 percent. The acceleration of wound healing was already noticeable after the first treatment with CPT and improved continuously up to day 25. Therefore, this result is important not only for outpatient care but also for clinical practice in hospitals. But outstanding results were also achieved in the areas of wound closure, reducing antibiotic therapy and improving quality of life.

An active wound dressing (CPT®patch) was used, which generates a homogeneous plasma field over a large treatment area (10x10cm) and achieves optimal treatment in just two minutes. The treatment is fully automatic and effective and can be carried out by non-medical personnel regardless of wound size and depth.

The significant results in detail:
1. Accelerated wound healing rate: CPT resulted in a significant acceleration of the wound healing rate compared to standard wound therapy. The wound closure factor increased by 214 percent in the CPT group compared to the SWT group.
2. Reduced need for antibiotics: The CPT group required only 4 percent of antibiotics compared to 23 percent in the SWT group.
3. Pain relief: Patients in the CPT group reported less wound pain and a reduction in passive pain to 0 (median) was recorded.
4. Improvement in quality of life: Patients in the CPT group showed a strong and clinically significant improvement in quality of life.

About the technology and treatment with the CPT®patch
Cold plasma treatment, a novel medical approach, uses a physical state of matter created by the partial ionization of the ambient air. This generated plasma gas exerts antibacterial, antiviral and cell-activating effects through various physical mechanisms and ultimately promotes wound healing.

The cold plasma treatment within the “POWER” study was carried out with the CPT®cube therapy unit (power supply) and CPT®patch (applicator). This is a sterile, active wound dressing made of various functional polymer layers, in which printed electronics are embedded, which serve to generate a physical plasma. The CPT®cube provides the power supply and fully automatic control of the treatment (duration: 2 minutes per treatment). This therapy uses the “Active Glow Technology” developed and patented by Coldplasmatech. With the treatment unit, it is possible for the first time to generate a homogeneous plasma field over a large treatment area (10x10cm) and to achieve optimal treatment in just two minutes. The treatment is independent of the size and depth of the wound and can also be carried out by non-medical staff.

About Coldplasmatech
Coldplasmatech GmbH, based in Greifswald/Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, was founded in 2015 as a spin-off of the Leibniz Institute for Plasma Research by the managing directors Dr. rer. nat. Carsten Mahrenholz and Tobias Güra. The company specializes in the medical development and application of cold plasma therapy for healing chronic wounds. With its self-developed treatment unit and the unique CPT® cold plasma therapy, the company has established itself as a leading provider in the field of cold plasma technology. With its wound therapy, Coldplasmatech GmbH follows the principle of “healing instead of treating.” The company uses its product in collaboration with clinics, wound centers and wound experts who are selected according to special criteria and certified as “CPT® Plasma.Competence.Center.” In the nationwide treatment centers, chronic wounds are successfully treated using the technology. CPT® therapy has received numerous awards, including the German (2018) and the Bavarian Innovation Award (2022).

About the Journal of Clinical Medicine
The “Journal of Clinical Medicine” (ISSN 2077-0383) is an international, peer-reviewed, open access journal for clinical and preclinical research. It is one of the leading journals in the field of general medicine. The publication itself was declared a “feature paper” with high impact at the suggestion of the reviewers.
MDPI is a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). MDPI takes responsibility for enforcing a rigorous peer review process along with strict ethical guidelines and standards to ensure that high-quality scientific work is included in the field of scientific publications.

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Contact for scientific information:

The authors of the study
• Prof. Dr. med. Markus Stücker, Clinic for Dermatology, Venereology/Allergology, Ruhr University Bochum, President of the German Society for Phlebology and Lymphology
• Prof. Dr. med. Martin Storck, Karlsruhe Municipal Hospital, President of the German Wound Council
• Dr. Nessr Abu Rached, Department of Dermatology, Venereology/Allergology, Ruhr University Bochum
• Dr. Thomas Meyer, Department of Dermatology, Venereology/Allergology, Ruhr University Bochum, German Society for Hygiene and Microbiology – Chairman of Diagnostic Procedures
• Dr. Susanne Kley, Scientific Institute for Health Economics and Health Systems Research, Leipzig

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Original publication:

Cold Plasma Therapy in Chronic
Wounds – A Multicenter, Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial (Plasma on Chronic Wounds for Epidermal Regeneration Study): Preliminary Results. (J. Clin. Med. 2023, 12(15), 5121; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12155121)

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More information:

http://www.powerstudie.com

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Criteria of this press release:
Journalists
Medicine
transregional, national
Research results, Scientific Publications
English

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