Quantum physics helps eliminate cancer cells

When X-rays irradiate tumor tissues containing iodine nanoparticles, the cancer cells will die within three days

Exposing metals to light causes the release of electrons, a phenomenon known as the photoelectric effect

A long-standing problem of cancer radiotherapy is that due to the lack of blood vessels that penetrate deep into the tissues, the oxygen content in the center of the tumor is low, so radiotherapy is not effective

Tamanoi and Kotaro Matsumoto and their colleagues have been trying to solve this problem by finding more direct ways to destroy cancer DNA

In the current study, they designed porous, iodine-carrying organosilicon nanoparticles

The researchers dispersed the nanoparticles into tumor spheroids, a 3D tissue containing multiple cancer cells

Further analysis showed that these nanoparticles were taken up by tumor cells and localized outside the nucleus

Matsumoto said: "Our research is an important example of the use of quantum physics in cancer cells

The research team next wants to understand how electrons are released when iodine atoms are exposed to x-rays

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DOI: 10.