Carbon Nanoparticles as Radiation Therapy Sensitizers
An ability to distinguish between tumor and healthy tissue, and thereby better target cancers, is a long sought goal in radiation therapy. This piece reports on research done in Germany and Russia on carbon-based radiation sensitizers: “. . . the authors analyzed the spectra of secondary electrons emitted from a carbon nanoparticle composed of fullerite, a crystalline form of C60 fullerene, irradiated by an ion beam consisting of fast protons. They quantified the electron yield in a broad kinetic energy range, using several different theoretical and numerical approaches. They found that a medium with an embedded carbon nanoparticle results in a number of low-energy electrons several times higher than that emitted by pure water. This may lead to the development of novel types of sensitizers composed of metallic and carbon-based parts.” MORE
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