Cold Plasma to Revolutionize Treatment of Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia and Reduce Mortality

Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a common and serious complication in patients who are mechanically ventilated. Studies indicate that about 10% of patients on ventilators develop VAP, which can extend hospital stays by 6-9 days, increasing the risk of further nosocomial infections, especially with multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs). The mortality rate for VAP is estimated to be 10-15%, which is higher than that for patients in surgical intensive care units. Current strategies to prevent VAP are only partially successful, and there is a clear need for more effective and sustainable methods to reduce VAP risk in intensive care settings. Now, the use of cold plasma which has already proven very successful in the treatment of difficult-to-heal wounds has the potential to save hundreds of thousands of ventilated patients who die from VAP every year.

Viromed Medical AG (Pinneberg, Germany) has been exploring the safety profile of cold plasma in treating bacterial infections of the respiratory tract using models of respiratory mucosa. The research particularly focuses on cold plasma's ability to eliminate bacteria infecting the epithelium and investigates any related inflammatory responses, changes in cell differentiation, cell death, and DNA damage, as well as the therapeutic dose and application timing. The effectiveness of various plasma compositions in relation to cellular damage is also under investigation.

Image: The PulmoPlas device is designed to prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia in mechanically ventilated patients (Photo courtesy of Viromed Medical)

Following encouraging initial findings showing no harmful effects on the airway epithelium, a second study is now being initiated ahead of schedule, originally set for mid-2025. This study aims to expedite special regulatory approval for the PulmoPlas device developed by Viromed, for use as an innovative preventive tool in both Germany and the USA. This research will further explore the safety profile of cold plasma on alveolar epithelium, considering the mechanical shear forces experienced by alveolar mucosa during breathing. Moreover, it will assess the efficacy and safety of cold plasma in eliminating bacteria on precision-cut lung slices (PCLS).

"The use of cold plasma has already proven very successful in the treatment of difficult-to-heal wounds. Our vision is to use the antimicrobial effect in other areas of application where treatment with conventional methods leads to unsatisfactory results. If several hundred thousand patients die from VAP every year, this is unacceptable,” said Uwe Perbandt, CEO of Viromed Medical AG. “As a first mover, we are therefore systematically driving forward the relevant research and striving to obtain special approval for our PulmoPlas device as quickly as possible, as we see an urgent medical need for a better solution to the VAP problem."

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