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Fullerene nano particles and their antioxidative effects: A comparison to other radio protective agents
Jirina Vavrova, Martina Rezacova, Jaroslav Pejchal
Department of Radiobiology, University of Defence, Faculty of Military Health Sciences, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Kralove, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic
Journal of Applied Biomedicine #10 (2012) DOI 10.2478/v10136-012-0002-2 ISSN 1214-0287
Summary:
Radiation therapy occupies an important position in the treatment of malignant diseases in spite of the existence of radiation side effects on normal tissues. Thus, substances are being developed which are designed to reduce both the acute and long term radiation effects on healthy tissues.
Currently a sulphur-containing compound amifostine (WR2721, ethyol) is used in clinical practice as a radioprotectant. However, it itself has considerable side effects including hypotension (found in 62% of patients), hypocalcaemia, diarrhoea, nausea, and vomiting.
Carbon nanospheres, known as fullerenes, and their water soluble derivatives (e.g. C60(OH)24, dendrofullerene DF-1) exert anti-oxidative properties and reduce damage to the DNA in irradiated cells.
Water soluble fullerenes are low-toxic substances and thus, are attractive in terms of their use as radioprotectants.
Conclusion:
Polyamino- and polyhydroxy-fullerenes show that water-solubility increases with the number of groups introduced into the molecule.
It is possible to state conclusively that water-soluble fullerene derivatives exert considerable protective effects against the oxidative stress as scavengers of free radicals in vitro as well as in vivo (Dugan et al. 2001, Ali et al. 2004, Bakry et al. 2007, Injac et al. 2008).
The radioprotective effects were demonstrated in fullerenols, carboxy-fullerenes, polyvinylpyrrolidone wrapped fullerene, and DF-1.
Table 1 summarizes a comparison of the DRFs after a single water-soluble dendrofullerene DF-1 application 30 min before irradiation (DRF = 1.22) with the effects of other radioprotectants.
Given the fact that these substances (fullerenol, DF-1) have no or only slight side effects, they offer a great potential to become radioprotectants with the possibility of repeated administration, which is necessary in standard fractionated radiotherapy.
Study analysis
The insightful work by Vavrova, Rezacova, and Pejchal presents a promising alternative to the challenges in radiation therapy. Their focus on fullerenes, specifically water-soluble derivatives like C60(OH)24 and dendrofullerene DF-1, illustrates the potential of these carbon nanospheres as viable radioprotectants, demonstrating their potent antioxidative properties and ability to reduce DNA damage in irradiated cells.
Comparatively, the currently used radioprotectant, amifostine, exhibits notable side effects like hypotension, hypocalcaemia, diarrhoea, nausea, and vomiting. Thus, the low-toxic profile of water-soluble fullerenes makes them particularly appealing in radiation therapy.
Nevertheless, it's worth noting that the radioprotective effects of fullerenes are not uniform across the board; the study highlights that polyamino- and polyhydroxy-fullerenes demonstrate increased water-solubility corresponding to the number of groups introduced into the molecule. Furthermore, fullerenol, DF-1, and other similar substances have shown radioprotective effects with minimal side effects.
The task for future research now lies in exploring the mechanisms through which these fullerenes operate as free radical scavengers, both in vitro and in vivo. With such knowledge, we stand at the precipice of potentially transforming the landscape of radiation therapy, ushering in an era of more efficient and safer treatments.
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