Bystander effects induced by the low-fluence irradiation of carbon and iron ions (6 MeV/n)

Many reports are available regarding bystander effects after exposure to low fluences of alpha particles and helium ions. However, few studies have examined bystander cellular effects after exposure to low fluences of ion species heavier than helium. We has been investigating bystander effects using both human normal fibroblasts and tumor cell lines irradiated with low energy (6 MeV/n) carbon or iron ions generated with the Medium Energy Beam Course. This year we focused on the bystander cellular effects as follows; Bystander cell-killing effect in human tumor cell lines irradiated with carbon ions. Relationship of bystander lethal effect between p53-wild and p53-mutated cells. Bystander cell-killing effect was observed in human normal and tumor cells harboring wild-type p53, but not in p53-mutated tumor cells. Moreover, observed bystander effect was suppressed by treating with a specific inhibitor of gap-junction mediated cell-cell communication. There is evidence that p53- and gap-junction-related bystander effect is an important role of carbon-ion induced lethal effect. (author)