Work

Synchrotron-based infrared microspectroscopy study on the biomolecular impact of carbon minibeam radiation therapy on a mouse osteosarcoma cell line

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Carbon minibeam radiation therapy (CMBRT) is a novel oncology treatment modality that combines the superior radiobiological properties of carbon ions with the remarkable tissue-sparing effects of spatial dose fractionation. Nevertheless, the differential biological mechanisms that CMBRT activates are not fully understood. To shed further light on such biomolecular processes, this study analysed the impact of CMBRT on LM8 osteosarcoma cells using synchrotron-based infrared microspectroscopy (SR-FTIRM). Samples were subjected to conventional carbon RT (CBB) and CMBRT at GSI (Germany). RT-treated cells underwent SR-FTIRM evaluations at ALBA Synchrotron (Spain) at 24 h post-RT. Principal component analysis (PCA) uncovered the main spectral differences between the treatment modalities, revealing that the IR signatures of CMBRT-treated samples were the most dissimilar from Control cells. Modifications of IR peaks attributed to α -helical and β -sheet/random coil protein sub-structures were consistent with the alterations of the Amide I spectral band due to CMBRT (assessed via curve-fitting analysis), suggesting enhanced protein oxidation. Conformational alterations of the sugar-phosphate backbone of nucleic acids might have also resulted from a further oxidative damage due to CMBRT. Additionally, CMBRT led to greater alterations of methylene and methyl bands compared to CBB, which may have been caused by free radical attacks. Spectral signatures in the CMBRT valleys differed from those in the CMBRT peaks, suggesting distinct biomolecular mechanisms involved in these two dose regions. Comparison with proton and neon irradiations revealed common IR features affected by MBRT modalities.

Source: Infrared Physics & Technology

DOI: 10.1016/j.infrared.2025.106247