Biocybernetics of Cancer: Optimizing Cancer Treatment with Ionizing Radiations

摘要

Control of cancer is one of the major unresolved problems facing the human society in economically and technically advanced as well as in developing countries. Results of the preclinical and basic studies carried out within the framework of the project are presented. The experimental investigations conducted on a number of model systems of increasing complexity and closeness to the clinical situation lend strong support to the suggestion that combination of 2-DG with sparsely ionizing radiations (low LET), such as gamma rays, fast electrons and protons, could be an effective way to improve tumor radiotherapy. Studies have shown that presence of 2-DG not only enhances radiation damage induced by gamma-rays in tumor cells, but also reduces the same in normal cells. The combination of 2-DG with low LET radiations could, therefore, improve the therapeutic index considerably, which may result in rendering the radioresistant tumors treatable by radiation and in reducing the total radiation dose required to eliminate radiosensitive tumors. Feasibility of such modifications of radiation responses have been demonstrated in the model systems.