Radiotherapy is still a treatment of choice for many malignancies, often in combination with other strategies. However, its efficacy is limited by the dose that can be safely administered without eliciting serious side effects, as well as the fact that recurrence is common, particularly in large tumours. Combining radiotherapy with drugs that could sensitize cells to radiation and/or reduce the factors that promote the recovery of the surviving cancer cells is a promising approach. Ionizing radiation has been shown to induce senescence, and the accumulation of senescent cells creates a microenvironment that facilitates neoplastic growth. This provides a rationale to test the addition of anti-senescent drugs, some of them already available in the clinic, to radiotherapy protocols. Here, we discuss the relevance of radiotherapy-induced senescent cell accumulation and the potential interventions to minimize its negative effects.
A first use of molecular imprinting for characterisation of surfaceome of the lung cancer cells and discovery of the molecular markers for radiosensitivity: towards development of an effective tool for cancer therapy and personalised medicine.
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