Researchers at the Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology (INP) in Greifswald have shown in a laboratory study that medical gas plasma strongly inactivates adenoviruses within a short time. The results were published in the journal Small (DOI: 10.1002/smll.202511792).

Adenoviruses are robust pathogens that cause colds, conjunctivitis or gastrointestinal infections and can survive for a long time on surfaces. In the experiments, the scientists used a special argon plasma jet, which is also used in plasma medicine. After just 90 seconds of exposure, the infectivity of the viruses in cell cultures fell by around 96 percent.

The effect is not based on heat or mechanical destruction, but on reactive oxygen and nitrogen compounds that are formed in the plasma. These specifically attack the outer protein shell of the viruses – especially proteins that are crucial for stability and docking with human cells. As a result, the viruses lose their ability to enter cells and cause an infection.

Electron microscope images showed that the virus particles change their shape and shrink by about 16 percent on average. The viral genetic material, on the other hand, remained largely undamaged. Additional tests confirmed that the inactivation was due to the chemical effect of the plasma.

For the first time, the study provides detailed insights into where medical gas plasma attacks adenoviruses. This knowledge forms an important basis for the targeted further development of plasma technologies – for example, for the disinfection of surfaces, medical devices or in wound treatment. The results come from controlled laboratory tests; transmission to complex organisms (e.g. infected lungs) must be tested in further studies.

Original paper:

Medical Gas Plasma Inactivates Adenoviruses via Capsid Oxidation – Schmidt – Small – Wiley Online Library

Editor: X-Press Journalistenbüro GbR

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