Synergetic effects of the combined action of carbon ions and the chemotherapy drug doxorubicin on HeLa cancer cells

Proton and carbon beam therapy is currently recognized as the most effective and highly accurate form of radiation therapy for deeply located tumors, including radioresistant ones. This is due to the fact that they have all the advantages of spatial dose distribution and, at the same time, are densely ionizing radiations capable of effectively affecting hypoxic, slow-growing tumors and other neoplasms that are insensitive to traditional types of radiation. It is well known that one of the main methods for treating neoplasms is chemotherapy. The predominant mechanism of action of anti-tumor drugs is the induction of DNA damage with the subsequent impossibility of repair. In our study, we used an anti-tumor antibiotic of the anthracycline series, doxorubicin. The assessment of the potential significance of the synergistic interaction of ionizing radiation with chemical preparations in medical radiology remains an urgent and unresolved problem. It is possible to achieve the maximum effect of the combined action of two agents when they act simultaneously. The phenomenon of synergy can be used to optimize the combined use of radiation and chemotherapy in clinical practice. In this regard, it seems relevant to conduct a study for HeLa cancer cells exposed to ionizing radiation, an antitumor drug, as well as their combination. In the course of the study, results were obtained on the manifestation of the synergistic nature of the agents used, which is of great practical and theoretical importance for understanding the mechanism of the combined effect of ionizing radiation and the chemotherapy drug (doxorubicin). The obtained data can be helpful in optimizing the combined effects in order to achieve maximum synergistic interaction