Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 5, 2026
Radiosensitivity of Cancer Stem Cells in Lung Cancer Cell Lines
Published on: August 21, 2019
Radiosensitizing Effect of Gadolinium Oxide Nanocrystals in NSCLC Cells Under Carbon Ion Irradiation
Feifei Li1,2, Zihou Li2,3, Xiaodong Jin1
1Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Key Laboratory of Heavy Ion Radiation Biology and Medicine of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Key Laboratory of Basic Research on Heavy Ion Radiation Application in Medicine, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu Province, China.
Abstract:
Gadolinium-based nanomaterials can not only serve as contrast agents but also contribute to sensitization in the radiotherapy of cancers. Among radiotherapies, carbon ion irradiation is considered one of the superior approaches with unique physical and biological advantages. However, only a few metallic nanoparticles have been used to improve carbon ion irradiation. In this study, gadolinium oxide nanocrystals (GONs) were synthesized using a polyol method to decipher the radiosensitizing mechanisms in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines irradiated by carbon ions. The sensitizer enhancement ratio at the 10% survival level was correlated with the concentration of Gd in NSCLC cells. GONs elicited an increase in hydroxyl radical production in a concentration-dependent manner, and the yield of reactive oxygen species increased obviously in irradiated cells, which led to DNA damage and cell cycle arrest. Apoptosis and cytostatic autophagy were also significantly induced by GONs under carbon ion irradiation. The GONs may serve as an effective theranostic material in carbon ion radiotherapy for NSCLC.
