Scientists have uncovered a key microscopic mechanism behind heavy-ion cancer therapy, offering fresh insights that could transform radiotherapy. Led by researchers from the Institute of Modern Physics (IMP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and partners from Russia, Germany, and top Chinese universities, this breakthrough reveals how heavy-ion beams can more effectively destroy cancer cells.
Heavy-ion therapy is a cutting-edge radiotherapy technique that uses powerful heavy-ion beams to create DNA double-strand breaks in tumor cells. IMP researcher Xu Shenyue noted, "Under the same radiation dose, heavy ions exhibit two to three times greater cancer-cell-killing efficiency than traditional X-ray radiotherapy."
During experiments at heavy-ion research facilities in Lanzhou, located in Gansu Province on the Chinese mainland, the team observed an intricate intermolecular energy and proton transfer cascade mechanism in biomolecular clusters. IMP researcher Ma Xinwen explained, "The observed mechanism sheds light on the molecular details of radiation damage, which may play an essential role in optimizing future radiotherapy techniques."
This discovery not only deepens our understanding of radiation damage at a molecular level, it also paves the way for innovations that could make cancer treatments even more effective. Sometimes, the tiniest details lead to the biggest breakthroughs! 💥
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Scientists reveal key mechanism behind heavy-ion cancer therapy
cgtn.com
