Hey there! Did you know that scientists have discovered a new way to fight cancer that’s even more powerful than before? It’s called heavy-ion therapy, and it’s like giving cancer cells a super-powered punch! 💥
So, what’s heavy-ion therapy all about? Imagine using tiny particles, even smaller than atoms, called heavy ions to zap cancer cells. These heavy ions can destroy cancer cells more effectively than regular X-rays. In fact, they’re 2 to 3 times better at killing those bad cells! 😮
Scientists from the Institute of Modern Physics (IMP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and their friends from universities around the world wanted to find out exactly how heavy-ion therapy works its magic. They did experiments in a place called Lanzhou, China, using special machines that shoot out heavy-ion beams.
What did they find? They discovered that when heavy ions hit the DNA in cancer cells, they cause something called DNA double-strand breaks. Think of DNA as the instruction manual for our cells. Breaking it is like tearing important pages out of a book—it stops the cancer cells from growing! 📖❌
Even cooler, they saw a special process called an intermolecular energy and proton transfer cascade. That’s a big phrase, but it means that energy moves between molecules in a way that helps destroy the cancer cells even more effectively.
This discovery is super important because it means we can make heavy-ion therapy even better. By understanding how it works on a tiny level, doctors can optimize treatments and help more people get better faster! 💪🎗️
Isn’t science amazing? Who knows—you might be one of the scientists making the next big discovery someday! 🚀
Reference(s):
Scientists reveal key mechanism behind heavy-ion cancer therapy
cgtn.com
