Deciphering the Biological Effects of Radiotherapy in Cancer Cells

Abstract

Radiotherapy remains an effective conventional method of treatment for patients with cancer. However, the clinical efficacy of radiotherapy is compromised by the development of radioresistance of the tumor cells during the treatment. Consequently, there is need for a comprehensive understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of tumor cells in response to radiation to improve radiotherapy efficacy. The current study aims to highlight new developments that illustrate various forms of cancer cell death after exposure to radiation. A summary of the cellular pathways and important target proteins that are responsible for tumor radioresistance and metastasis is also provided. Further, the study outlines several mechanistic descriptions of the interaction between ionizing radiation and the host immune system. Therefore, the current review provides a reference for future research studies on the biological effects of new radiotherapy technologies, such as ultra-high-dose-rate (FLASH) radiotherapy, proton therapy, and heavy-ion therapy.

Hydrogel systems for targeted cancer therapy

“…Radiation therapy has now shifted from widespread to precisely targeted radiation. This allows for the efficient killing of cancer cells while disrupting their DNA self-repair function and causing less damage to healthy tissue ( Lu et al, 2022 ; Moghaddasi et al, 2022 ). However, the therapeutic effect of radiotherapy is disturbed by the self-repairing properties of DNA, the associated radiation resistance of cancer cells after hypoxia, and the uneven distribution of radiation source doses after local implantation ( Odia et al, 2022 ).…”

A review and bibliometric analysis of global research on proton radiotherapy

“…Nevertheless, the physical properties of photons pose challenges in safely escalating doses while adhering to constraints on normal tissue tolerance. [3] Proton beam therapy (PBT), a type of cutting-edge therapeutic radiation, utilizes charged particles with physical properties that inherently reduce the amount of excess radiation delivered to patients when compared with photon-based radiotherapy. Protons exhibit a Bragg peak in their dose distribution, indicating maximal dose deposition at a finite tissue depth followed by a sharp dose falloff with no exit dose.…”

ROS-Responsive and pH-Sensitive Aminothiols Dual-Prodrug for Radiation Enteritis

“…Meanwhile, as a dominant cancer treatment, radiotherapy can directly generate large amounts of ROS, contributing to DNA double-strand breakage, intracellular oxidative stress, and cells apoptosis [ 6 , 7 ]. The side-effects of radiotherapy, especially presenting as hematopoietic system suppression and gastrointestinal dysfunction, can be lethal to patients [ 8 , 9 ]. Therefore, the development of radiation protective medicine has become a crucial medical goal.…”