Impact of the Lorentz Force on Electron Track Structure and Early DNA Damage Yields in Magnetic Resonance-Guided Radiotherapy

Magnetic resonance-guided radiotherapy (MRgRT) has been developed and installed in recent decades for external radiotherapy in several clinical facilities. The Lorentz force modulates dose distribution by charged particles in MRgRT; however, the impact by this force on low-energy electron track structure and early DNA damage induction remain unclear. In this study, we estimated features of electron track structure and biological effects in a static magnetic field (SMF) using a general-purpose Monte Carlo code, Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code System (PHITS) that enables us to simulate low-energy electrons down to 1 meV by track-structure mode. The macroscopic dose distributions by electrons above approximately 300 keV initial energy in liquid water are changed by both perpendicular and parallel SMFs against the incident direction, indicating that the Lorentz force plays an important role in calculating dose within tumours. Meanwhile, DNA damage estimation based on the spatial patterns of atomic interactions indicates that the initial yield of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) is independent of the SMF intensity. The DSB induction is predominantly attributed to the secondary electrons below a few tens of eV, which are not affected by the Lorentz force. Our simulation study suggests that treatment planning for MRgRT can be made with consideration of only changed dose distribution.

A Simplified Cluster Analysis of Electron Track Structure for Estimating Complex DNA Damage Yields

Complex DNA damage, defined as at least two vicinal lesions within 10–20 base pairs (bp), induced after exposure to ionizing radiation, is recognized as fatal damage to human tissue. Due to the difficulty of directly measuring the aggregation of DNA damage at the nano-meter scale, many cluster analyses of inelastic interactions based on Monte Carlo simulation for radiation track structure in liquid water have been conducted to evaluate DNA damage. Meanwhile, the experimental technique to detect complex DNA damage has evolved in recent decades, so both approaches with simulation and experiment get used for investigating complex DNA damage. During this study, we propose a simplified cluster analysis of ionization and electronic excitation events within 10 bp based on track structure for estimating complex DNA damage yields for electron and X-ray irradiations. We then compare the computational results with the experimental complex DNA damage coupled with base damage (BD) measured by enzymatic cleavage and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The computational results agree well with experimental fractions of complex damage yields, i.e., single and double strand breaks (SSBs, DSBs) and complex BD, when the yield ratio of BD/SSB is assumed to be 1.3. Considering the comparison of complex DSB yields, i.e., DSB + BD and DSB + 2BD, between simulation and experimental data, we find that the aggregation degree of the events along electron tracks reflects the complexity of induced DNA damage, showing 43.5% of DSB induced after 70 kVp X-ray irradiation can be classified as a complex form coupled with BD. The present simulation enables us to quantify the type of complex damage which cannot be measured through in vitro experiments and helps us to interpret the experimental detection efficiency for complex BD measured by AFM. This simple model for estimating complex DNA damage yields contributes to the precise understanding of the DNA damage complexity induced after X-ray and electron irradiations.

Study on Clarification of Large-Area EB Irradiation Phenomenon by Electron Track Analysis

In large-area electron beam (EB) irradiation method, uniformly high energy density can be obtained without focusing the beam. Large-area EB can be used for melting and evaporating metal surface instantly. It was clarified that high efficient surface finishing of metal mold steels, ceramics and cemented carbides was possible by the large-area EB irradiation. Furthermore, the tip of convex shape was often rounded after large-area EB irradiation with remarkable material removal at the tip. This phenomenon is probably caused due to the heat accumulation and electrons concentration at the tip. However, electrons behavior near the workpiece surface during large-area EB irradiation has not yet been clarified. In this study, electron track analysis was conducted in order to clarify electrons behavior during large-area EB irradiation. At first, analytical model of the large-area EB irradiation apparatus was built. Then, the EB diameter on the workpiece surface was experimentally measured with different energy density in order to evaluate the accuracy of our analytical model. The calculated results of EB diameter were in good agreement with the experimental ones. In addition, the electrons concentration phenomenon at the tip of convex shape was clarified by calculating energy density distribution on the surface obtained with electron track analysis. The analytical results indicated that the energy density increased from edge to tip of convex shape, while the energy density was constant in the case of planar shape. Experimented results also showed that removal thickness increases with high relative permeability. These results were similar tendency to the energy density distribution. Therefore, electrons concentration on the tip could be simulated by the electron track analysis.