Status of charged particle microbeams for radiation biology
Folkard M., Prise KM., Vojnovic B.
The Gray Cancer Institute is one of a small number of laboratories worldwide routinely using particle microbeam techniques for radiobiological applications. Cellular micro-irradiation methods have been used to provide experimental opportunities not possible with typical broad-field irradiation methods. Using microbeams, it is possible to deliver precise doses of radiation to selected individual cells, or sub-cellular targets in vitro. This technique continues to be applied to the investigation of a number of phenomena currently of great interest to the radiobiological community. In particular, it is the study of so-called non-targeted effects (where cells are seen to respond indirectly to ionizing radiation) that are benefiting most from the use of microbeam approaches. One important non-targeted effect is the bystander-effect where it is observed that unirradiated cells exhibit damage in response to signals transmitted by irradiated neighbours. © 2007 IOP Publishing Ltd.