Gender differences in DNA damage/repair after laser-generated ultrafast electron beam irradiation
The laser-generated electron acceleration is a developing technology, which can make a revolution in radiation therapy of tumors. The possibility of creating directed ultra-short pulses of enormous capacity (up to kGy/s) allows the precise dose-control induction of local effects on solid tumors with minimal exposure of normal tissues. The obvious advantage of laser-generated electron accelerators is also the significantly smaller size and cost than that of conventional radiotherapy machines.1 There are only a few publications on the biological effects of ultra-short pulsed electron beam radiation.2–5 However, before translating the usage of lasergenerated accelerators into clinical practice, the radiobiological effectiveness of such ultra-short electron bunches should be approved.
AREAL low energy electron beam applications in life and materials sciences
Abstract The AREAL laser-driven RF gun provides 2–5 MeV energy ultrashort electron pulses for experimental study in life and materials sciences. We report the first experimental results of the AREAL beam application in the study of molecular-genetic effects, silicon-dielectric structures, ferroelectric nanofilms, and single crystals for scintillators.
Gender-Related Differences in Pathological and Clinical Tumor Response Based on Immunohistochemical Proteins Expression in Rectal Cancer Patients Treated with Short Course of Preoperative Radiotherapy
BackgroundPrognostic value of pretreatment expression of proteins in rectal cancer for early pathological tumor response (pTR), clinical tumor response (CTR) to preoperative radiotherapy (RT), and the potential difference between these parameters depending on patient gender is not established.Material and MethodsOne hundred eleven patients were treated with short preoperative course of RT (SCRT) with 5 Gy dose per fraction during 5 days, followed by surgery 3 to 53 days (mean, 21 days) later. Expression of CD34, Ki-67, GLUT-1, Ku70, BCL-2, and P53 proteins was assessed immunohistochemically.ResultsThere were 76 men and 35 women. There were 27, 69, and 15 clinical tumor-node-metastasis (cTNM) tumor stages I, II, and III, respectively. Significant differences in Ki-67, GLUT-1, Ku 70, and BCL-2 expressions between male and female tumors were observed for pathological TNM (pTNM) stage and grade. Association between proteins expression and pTNM, pTR, and CTR was analyzed separately for short (≤15 days) and long (>15 days) break between RT and surgery and males and female patients. For SCRT with short break, no protein was significantly related to pTNM; for pTR, higher Ki-67 and lower BCL-2 expression were correlated with pTR. In the male subgroup, BCL-2 overexpression was predictive. For SCRT with long break, none of the proteins was predictive for pTR, but Ki-67, Ku70 (in female subgroup), and BCL-2 expressions were positively correlated with pTNM. BCL-2 overexpression was associated with CTR in the females only.ConclusionIn SCRT, long break in the treatment should be avoided because correlation between Ki-67, KU70, and BCL-2 expressions and pTNM after RT might indicate tumor progression.