Radiation Therapy Towards Laser-Driven Particle Beams: An “OMICS” Approach in Radiobiology

Abstract

The main goal of radiation therapy (RT) treatments is to achieve local tumor control, to selectively kill cancer cells without causing significant damage to the surrounding normal tissues. RT uses ionizing radiation (IR) generated with conventional accelerators, such as X-rays, γ-rays, electrons, protons and ions. It is now well recognized by the entire scientific community that to evaluate the bio- logical effects of IR it is essential an “OMIC” approach to take into account both the different cell types involved and the different IR’s used. The latest advances on cell and molecular response to IR, the most relevant data emerging from recent studies (genomics, epigenetics, proteomics and immunology) about different cell types, will be reported. We will discuss mainly biological effects of IR generated by conventional accelerators but we will also consider the few and preliminary radiobiological studies performed so far with laser-driven electron and proton beams. This will allow us in particular to speculate on cell and molecular effects of the laser-driven electron beams, a topic that can be now carefully investigated thanks to the impressive progress of “table-top” laser-driven accelerators.