https://doi.org/10.1140/epjti/s40485-023-00093-6
Research Article
Metallacarboranes for proton therapy using research accelerators: a pilot study
1
Departamento de Engenharia e Ciências Nucleares, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal, Estrada Nacional 10, 2695-066, Bobadela LRS, Portugal
2
IBB, Instituto de Bioengenharia e Biociências, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
3
Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias Nucleares, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
4
Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC), Campus UAB, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
a
teresa.pinheiro@tecnico.ulisboa.pt
Received:
31
October
2022
Accepted:
15
February
2023
Published online:
9
March
2023
The feasibility of using an external beam microprobe facility to explore the biological effects generated by proton irradiation in cultured cells is demonstrated. An in-air irradiation set-up was developed that allows energy tuning and enables estimating the flux and dose deposition in cells. A pilot study on the effect of boron-rich metallacarboranes as radiosensitizers towards human glioblastoma cells was carried out. This served as a proof of concept for the enhancement effect of proton irradiation induced by the presence of boron, which undergoes a nuclear 11B(p,α)αα reaction. Details of the experimental set-up and physical parameters measured are presented. Also, preliminary results of cell’s irradiation and uncertainties are discussed anticipating the advances that have been achieved by our group in this field.
© The Author(s) 2023
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