Description
Cancer remains a leading cause of death worldwide, requiring more effective treatment strategies to overcome the limitations of traditional therapies, such as toxicity and drug resistance. While Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) offers advantages like minimal invasiveness, its effectiveness is restricted by the limited penetration depth of visible light in biological tissues. To address this, this study investigates X-ray induced photodynamic therapy (X-PDT) using scintillating nanoparticles to convert ionizing radiation into visible light, thereby activating photosensitizers in deep tissues.
Ce-doped TiO₂ (CeTiO₂) nanoparticles were synthesized via sol-gel method and conjugated with porphyrin-based photosensitizers (TMPyP4 and TPP-SO₄Na). Biological assessments were conducted on breast cancer (MDA-MB-231) and normal epithelial (MCF-12A) cell lines exposed to a high-power laser-driven Bremsstrahlung radiation source produced by the interaction of a 7.5 PW laser beam with a gas jet target.
Cellular responses were evaluated through clonogenic survival assays, comet assays for DNA damage, and Hoechst staining for nuclear morphology. The results demonstrated that the functionalized nanoparticles caused significant DNA damage and reduced cell survival under irradiation, altering nuclear morphology in cancer cells. These findings highlight the transformative potential of high-power laser systems for radiobiology and serve as a foundation for investigating ultra-high dose rate (FLASH) effect in oncology.
