Life-threatening viruses such as HIV, SARS, hepatitis and influenza, could soon be combatted in an unusual manner as researchers have demonstrated the effectiveness of plasma for inactivating and preventing the replication of adenoviruses.
When exposed to plasma – the fourth state of matter in addition to solids, liquids and gases – for a period of just 240 seconds, it was found that only one in a million viruses could still replicate – practically all were inactivated.
The study, published in IOP Publishing's Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, is one of the first to concentrate specifically on viruses and builds on research that has already shown the usefulness of plasma in eradicating bacteria from skin and sterilising water.
This is potentially one of the most dramatic breakthroughs in the treatment of a wide variety of viral diseases and infections in medical history. To read more, click here.