Requirements for Designing an Effective Metallic Nanoparticle (NP)-Boosted Radiation Therapy (RT)
Many different tumor-targeted strategies are under development worldwide to limit the side effects and improve the effectiveness of cancer therapies. One promising method is to enhance the radiosensitization of the cancer cells while reducing or maintaining the normal tissue complication probability...
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MDPI AG
2021-06-01
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| Series: | Cancers |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/13/13/3185 |
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| author | Ioanna Tremi Ellas Spyratou Maria Souli Efstathios P. Efstathopoulos Mersini Makropoulou Alexandros G. Georgakilas Lembit Sihver |
| author_facet | Ioanna Tremi Ellas Spyratou Maria Souli Efstathios P. Efstathopoulos Mersini Makropoulou Alexandros G. Georgakilas Lembit Sihver |
| author_sort | Ioanna Tremi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Many different tumor-targeted strategies are under development worldwide to limit the side effects and improve the effectiveness of cancer therapies. One promising method is to enhance the radiosensitization of the cancer cells while reducing or maintaining the normal tissue complication probability during radiation therapy using metallic nanoparticles (NPs). Radiotherapy with MV photons is more commonly available and applied in cancer clinics than high LET particle radiotherapy, so the addition of high-Z NPs has the potential to further increase the efficacy of photon radiotherapy in terms of NP radiosensitization. Generally, when using X-rays, mainly the inner electron shells are ionized, which creates cascades of both low and high energy Auger electrons. When using high LET particles, mainly the outer shells are ionized, which give electrons with lower energies than when using X-rays. The amount of the produced low energy electrons is higher when exposing NPs to heavy charged particles than when exposing them to X-rays. Since ions traverse the material along tracks, and therefore give rise to a much more inhomogeneous dose distributions than X-rays, there might be a need to introduce a higher number of NPs when using ions compared to when using X-rays to create enough primary and secondary electrons to get the desired dose escalations. This raises the questions of toxicity. This paper provides a review of the fundamental processes controlling the outcome of metallic NP-boosted photon beam and ion beam radiation therapy and presents some experimental procedures to study the biological effects of NPs’ radiosensitization. The overview shows the need for more systematic studies of the behavior of NPs when exposed to different kinds of ionizing radiation before applying metallic-based NPs in clinical practice to improve the effect of IR therapy. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T10:02:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9933235f42fc4d83b2765ff7804bf4ee |
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| issn | 2072-6694 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T10:02:49Z |
| publishDate | 2021-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Cancers |
| spelling | doaj.art-9933235f42fc4d83b2765ff7804bf4ee2023-11-22T01:48:48ZengMDPI AGCancers2072-66942021-06-011313318510.3390/cancers13133185Requirements for Designing an Effective Metallic Nanoparticle (NP)-Boosted Radiation Therapy (RT)Ioanna Tremi0Ellas Spyratou1Maria Souli2Efstathios P. Efstathopoulos3Mersini Makropoulou4Alexandros G. Georgakilas5Lembit Sihver6DNA Damage Laboratory, Department of Physics, School of Applied Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Zografou Campus, National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), 15780 Athens, Greece2nd Department of Radiology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11517 Athens, GreeceDNA Damage Laboratory, Department of Physics, School of Applied Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Zografou Campus, National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), 15780 Athens, Greece2nd Department of Radiology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11517 Athens, GreeceDNA Damage Laboratory, Department of Physics, School of Applied Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Zografou Campus, National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), 15780 Athens, GreeceDNA Damage Laboratory, Department of Physics, School of Applied Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Zografou Campus, National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), 15780 Athens, GreeceAtominstitut, Technische Universität Wien, Stadionallee 2, 1020 Vienna, AustriaMany different tumor-targeted strategies are under development worldwide to limit the side effects and improve the effectiveness of cancer therapies. One promising method is to enhance the radiosensitization of the cancer cells while reducing or maintaining the normal tissue complication probability during radiation therapy using metallic nanoparticles (NPs). Radiotherapy with MV photons is more commonly available and applied in cancer clinics than high LET particle radiotherapy, so the addition of high-Z NPs has the potential to further increase the efficacy of photon radiotherapy in terms of NP radiosensitization. Generally, when using X-rays, mainly the inner electron shells are ionized, which creates cascades of both low and high energy Auger electrons. When using high LET particles, mainly the outer shells are ionized, which give electrons with lower energies than when using X-rays. The amount of the produced low energy electrons is higher when exposing NPs to heavy charged particles than when exposing them to X-rays. Since ions traverse the material along tracks, and therefore give rise to a much more inhomogeneous dose distributions than X-rays, there might be a need to introduce a higher number of NPs when using ions compared to when using X-rays to create enough primary and secondary electrons to get the desired dose escalations. This raises the questions of toxicity. This paper provides a review of the fundamental processes controlling the outcome of metallic NP-boosted photon beam and ion beam radiation therapy and presents some experimental procedures to study the biological effects of NPs’ radiosensitization. The overview shows the need for more systematic studies of the behavior of NPs when exposed to different kinds of ionizing radiation before applying metallic-based NPs in clinical practice to improve the effect of IR therapy.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/13/13/3185metallic nanoparticles (NPs)radiosensitizationradiation therapyX-raysions beam therapy |
| spellingShingle | Ioanna Tremi Ellas Spyratou Maria Souli Efstathios P. Efstathopoulos Mersini Makropoulou Alexandros G. Georgakilas Lembit Sihver Requirements for Designing an Effective Metallic Nanoparticle (NP)-Boosted Radiation Therapy (RT) Cancers metallic nanoparticles (NPs) radiosensitization radiation therapy X-rays ions beam therapy |
| title | Requirements for Designing an Effective Metallic Nanoparticle (NP)-Boosted Radiation Therapy (RT) |
| title_full | Requirements for Designing an Effective Metallic Nanoparticle (NP)-Boosted Radiation Therapy (RT) |
| title_fullStr | Requirements for Designing an Effective Metallic Nanoparticle (NP)-Boosted Radiation Therapy (RT) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Requirements for Designing an Effective Metallic Nanoparticle (NP)-Boosted Radiation Therapy (RT) |
| title_short | Requirements for Designing an Effective Metallic Nanoparticle (NP)-Boosted Radiation Therapy (RT) |
| title_sort | requirements for designing an effective metallic nanoparticle np boosted radiation therapy rt |
| topic | metallic nanoparticles (NPs) radiosensitization radiation therapy X-rays ions beam therapy |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/13/13/3185 |
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