Glycolytic inhibitor induces metabolic crisis in solid cancer cells to enhance cold plasma‐induced cell death

Targeting metabolic regulation in cancer cells through metabolic reprogramming is of interest among researchers with regard to preferential cancer cell killing. Evidence indicates that the combination of metabolic modifiers with anticancer therapies attains the expected therapeutic efficiency, suggesting a potential for selective cancer cell death. Here, we have shown that the use of 2‐deoxy‐d‐glucose, a metabolic modifier, enhances the efficiency of air gas plasma treatment at lower doses, resulting in cellular energy loss, which can be attributed to metabolic energy crisis in mitochondria. Interestingly, this novel approach is selective for solid cancer cells over normal cells, thus displaying great potential for increasing nonthermal plasma activity. 2‐Deoxy‐d‐glucose (2‐DG) demonstrated several benefits with regard to tumor cells through alteration of glucose metabolism. The combination strategy of cold plasma with 2‐DG metabolic modifier is effective for the preferential killing of cancer cell death over normal healthy cells, contributing to future plasma medicine applications.