Predictive Assessment of Biological Damage Due to Ion Beams

A Mathematical Radiobiological Model (MRM) to Predict Complex DNA Damage and Cell Survival for Ionizing Particle Radiations of Varying Quality

“…In clinical radiobiology, biophysical models must fulfill the following important criteria: to be mathematically simple, accurate, easy to handle and make use of a limited number of degrees of freedom in order to predict cell survival under irradiation. The so-called ‘Multiscale Approach (MSA)’ [ 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 ] offers a physical phenomenon-based analysis of the physical processes that take place on different spatial, temporal and energy scales in the micro-environment of the cell after its irradiation by ions [ 41 ]. The MSA includes many relevant effects known so far by the scientific community, which occur inside the cell when irradiated, starting from the physical stage, entering the chemical one and following the whole way down to the biological stage.…”

Free-electron production from nucleotides upon collision with charged carbon ions

“…Another key difference of the IBCT from photon therapy is the formation of secondary particles such as electrons and free radicals [3,[7][8][9], which are produced around the Bragg peak in larger numbers and with higher densities than those produced in photon therapy. The angular distribution of the secondary particles is largely uniform [8], and it is mostly these particles that are the cause of various intracellular damage, rather than the charged projectile ion itself [8,9].…”

“…Another key difference of the IBCT from photon therapy is the formation of secondary particles such as electrons and free radicals [3,[7][8][9], which are produced around the Bragg peak in larger numbers and with higher densities than those produced in photon therapy. The angular distribution of the secondary particles is largely uniform [8], and it is mostly these particles that are the cause of various intracellular damage, rather than the charged projectile ion itself [8,9]. It is thus of great importance to understand the mechanics of free radicals and secondary electron production upon collision of a charged ion with the biological target, and furthermore, to describe how their dynamics could lead to biological damage, which in the end might cause cell apoptosis and death [8,9].…”

“…The angular distribution of the secondary particles is largely uniform [8], and it is mostly these particles that are the cause of various intracellular damage, rather than the charged projectile ion itself [8,9]. It is thus of great importance to understand the mechanics of free radicals and secondary electron production upon collision of a charged ion with the biological target, and furthermore, to describe how their dynamics could lead to biological damage, which in the end might cause cell apoptosis and death [8,9].…”

“…To understand the effects underlying IBCT on a tumor, or any other biological system, it is necessary to look at * ilia@sdu.dk the physics of radiation interaction with biological systems through the multiscale approach [8][9][10][11], which allows us to build a bridge from the microscopic effects on the level of electrons, to the cellular macroscopic scale.…”