Advances in modelling gold nanoparticle radiosensitization using new Geant4-DNA physics models

Authors

Elette Engels, University of WollongongFollow
Samer Bakr, University of WollongongFollow
David Bolst, University of WollongongFollow
Dousatsu Sakata, University of WollongongFollow
Nan Li, University of WollongongFollow
Peter Lazarakis, University of WollongongFollow
Stephen McMahon
Vladimir Ivanchenko
Anatoly B. Rosenfeld, University of WollongongFollow
Sebastien Incerti
Ioanna Kyriakou
Dimitris Emfietzoglou
Michael L. F Lerch, University of WollongongFollow
Moeava Tehei, University of WollogongFollow
Stéphanie Corde, University of WollongongFollow
Susanna Guatelli, University of WollongongFollow

Publication Details

Elette Engels et al 2020 Phys. Med. Biol. 65 225017

Abstract

Gold nanoparticles have demonstrated significant radiosensitization of cancer treatment with x-ray radiotherapy. To understand the mechanisms at the basis of nanoparticle radiosensitization, Monte Carlo simulations are used to investigate the dose enhancement, given a certain nanoparticle concentration and distribution in the biological medium. Earlier studies have ordinarily used condensed history physics models to predict nanoscale dose enhancement with nanoparticles. This study uses Geant4-DNA complemented with novel track structure physics models to accurately describe electron interactions in gold and to calculate the dose surrounding gold nanoparticle structures at nanoscale level. The computed dose in silico due to a clinical kilovoltage beam and the presence of gold nanoparticles was related to in vitro brain cancer cell survival using the local effect model. The comparison of the simulation results with radiobiological experimental measurements shows that Geant4-DNA and local effect model can be used to predict cell survival in silico in the case of x-ray kilovoltage beams.