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TerminatedNCT05937672Updated Apr 3, 2026

Cold Atmospheric Plasma Device Extension Study

A Phase 3 interventional study of Floating electrode-dielectric barrier device (FE-DBD) cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) in Verruca Vulgaris and Molluscum Contagiosum, sponsored by Medical University of South Carolina. Terminated at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 4 Years to 21 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-04-03.

Sponsored by Medical University of South Carolina · Phase 3, Interventional, and Treatment

Why this study was terminated
Device needed repairs and delay this would cause would have affected data integrity if study were continued due to treatment delay.
Phase
Phase 3
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
60
Allocation
Non-randomized
Ages
4 Years to 21 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Patients between 4-21 years of age with at least one wart or molluscum lesion are eligible to participate in this study. The duration of the study is a minimum of 4 weeks with the maximum duration of monthly treatments for one year, depending on lesion clearance. The number of lesions will be chosen by the dermatologist. Patients who opt to participate will receive non-thermal, or cold, atmospheric plasma to treat all lesions selected. Safety profile as well as changes in size, pain and appearance will be measured. Photographs and dermatologist impressions will be used to measure treatment response.

02

Conditions studied

  • Verruca Vulgaris
  • Molluscum Contagiosum

Keywords

  • Plasma
  • Warts
  • Molluscum
  • Pediatric
  • Dermatology
03

In context

Warts

171 studies on the registry are indexed under Warts; 35 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 60 is below the median of 70 across 155 interventional studies indexed under Warts.

Browse Warts studies →

Lead sponsor

Medical University of South Carolina is the lead sponsor of 874 studies on the registry; 166 are open to participants now.

Of its 131 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 104 (79%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
4 Years to 21 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • All patients from 4-21 years old with at least 1 lesion of vercurra or molluscum.
  • Willingness of the participant and their guardian to provide consent when applicable.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Unwillingness to participate in the study
  • Received any treatment on the lesion in the past month determined by review of their medical record
  • Immunodeficiency determined by review of their medical record.
  • Adverse response to prior treatments determined by review of medical record.
  • Signs of self-resolution determined by study team members.
  • Conditions that lead to excessive scarring determined by study team members.
  • Face and genital lesions determined by study team members.
05

Study design

Phase
Phase 3
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Non-randomized
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
60 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Cold Atmospheric Plasma (CAP)

    We are proposing an open-label extension study of a floating electrode-dielectric barrier device (FE-DBD), a Cold Atmospheric Plasma (CAP) device for the treatment of Verrucae Vulgaris and Molluscum Contagiosum. While novel to the medical field, and especially to dermatology, there are already a number of publications regarding its use on human skin in adults and children. CAP devices utilize noble gases (such as helium) to deliver plasma state matter to the skin. As its name implies, the generated plasma stream is of near skin temperature and it exists on normal atmospheric pressure. During the generation of the plasma there is no electric contact with the patient. The treatment does not increase skin surface temperature and the used helium gas, the same as used for balloons, being a noble gas does not cause a chemical reaction with the skin. The flow of the gas is slow, thus there is no mechanical effect on the skin.

    Device: Floating electrode-dielectric barrier device (FE-DBD) cold atmospheric plasma (CAP)

Interventions

  • DeviceFloating electrode-dielectric barrier device (FE-DBD) cold atmospheric plasma (CAP)

    The treatment device in this study generates cold atmospheric plasma. Cold atmospheric plasma has certain properties of plasma, such as ionized gas molecules. To create plasma, a pulse generator supplying 20 kilovolt pulse of 20-ns pulse width at 200 Hz (FPG10-01NM10, FID GmbH, Burbach, Germany) to a 5-mm diameter quartz-covered copper electrode of 10-cm length and 1 - 13mm quartz thickness. These nanosecond pulse parameters were chosen to provide sufficient treatment dose at the high level of plasma uniformity required to avoid any tissue damage. We will treat the lesions for approximately 1 to 2 minutes each, moving the electrode gently over the treatment area.

    Also known as: Non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma (NTAP)

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Number of lesions with no response

    Absence of change in appearance of targeted lesion. Molluscum is defined as the visualization of a central umbilication with polylobular, white to yellow, amorphous structures. A peripheral crown of radiating or punctiform vessels may also be present. Warts are defined as grouped papillae, with dotted or loop vessels, and/or hemorrhagic points and lines often surrounded by a whitish halo.

    Time frame: Maximum of 12 months

  2. Number of lesions with partial response

    There is change in the size, dyspigmentation, or discomfort of the targeted lesion as compared to its appearance and symptoms at the initial visit, but the lesion remains grossly visible. Molluscum is defined as the visualization of a central umbilication with polylobular, white to yellow, amorphous structures. A peripheral crown of radiating or punctiform vessels may also be present. Warts are defined as grouped papillae, with dotted or loop vessels, and/or hemorrhagic points and lines often surrounded by a whitish halo. Changes in the characteristics of the targeted lesions will be evaluated by a dermatologist and documented via photographs at follow-up visits at 4, 8, and 12 weeks, with the final outcome measured at the 12-week visit.

    Time frame: Maximum of 12 months

  3. Number of lesions with complete response

    Targeted lesion is no longer grossly visible.

    Time frame: Maximum of 12 months

  4. Number of treatments to complete lesion resolution

    Comparing number of treatments necessary for complete response.

    Time frame: Maximum of 12 months

Secondary outcomes

  1. Adverse events from CAP tolerability questionnaire

    This questionnaire measures tolerability of cold atmospheric plasma treatment. Assessment of dryness, peeling, scaling, erythema, edema, stinging, burning sensation, itching, scarring and dyspigmentation will each be assessed individually by means of a standardized grading scale (0 = absent; 1 = mild; 2 = moderate; 3 = severe)

    Time frame: Maximum of 12 months

  2. Average score of visual analogue scale associated with treatment

    The visual analogue scale (VAS) is a validated subjective measurement of pain experienced by the patient. It consists of visual-numeric scale, numbered from 0-10. (0) indicate absence of pain or "no pain at all", while (10) indicates severe pain or "worst imaginable pain". This is supplemented by six faces with different expressions, ranging from happy to extremely upset. Each facial expression is assigned a numerical scale from 0 to 10.

    Time frame: Maximum of 12 months

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Medical University of South Carolina
    Charleston, South Carolina 29425, United States
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Apr 3, 2026, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT05937672
Collaborators
The Skin Center Dermatology Group
Responsible party
Lara Wine Lee (Assistant Professor, Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina) — Principal investigator
First posted
Jul 10, 2023
Start date
Sep 18, 2023
Primary completion
Dec 19, 2025
Completion
Dec 19, 2025
Last update
Apr 3, 2026

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
Yes
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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