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ST: Fachverband Strahlen- und Medizinphysik
ST 7: Radiation Therapy
ST 7.2: Talk
Thursday, March 19, 2026, 16:30–16:45, KH 01.013
Tabletop setup for in-vitro cell irradiation with low energy electron bunches — •Julian Freier1, Leon Brückner1, Lukas Kuhlmann2, Bastian Löhrl1, Giulia Cramer2, Christoph Bert2, Luitpold Distel2, and Peter Hommelhoff1,3 — 1Department Physik, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany — 2Department of Radiation Oncology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany — 3Department Physik, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU), Munich, Germany
Low-energy electrons (LEE) in the keV range are expected to have a high relative biological effectiveness (RBE) and, due to their limited penetration depth, may enable highly localized cancer therapy [1]. This work presents an ultrafast pulsed electron source based on photoemission from arrays of gold needle tips [2], capable of delivering electron energies up to 50 keV. Human fibroblasts and tumor cell lines were irradiated with LEE and compared to X-ray exposure. DNA double-strand breaks, visualized through γH2AX staining, show a characteristic depth-dependent pattern under LEE irradiation. Colony formation assays are used to determine the RBE. The emerging results set the ground for further radiobiological assessments and for the development of future therapeutic strategies, particularly in combination with laser-accelerator-on-a-chip technology suitable for endoscopic applications [3]. Ref. [1] Tye, J., et al. R. Soc. Open Sci. 11.11 (2024): 240898. [2] Bruckner, Leon, et al. Nano Lett. 24.16 (2024): 5018-5023. [3] England, R. Joel, et al. Rev. Mod. Phys. 86.4 (2014): 1337-1389.
Keywords: Low energy electrons; Particle radiotheraphy; Radiobiology; Accelerator on a chip; GafChromic films