The effect of fractionated Ionizing radiation on human breast MCF-7 cancer line cells

Abstract

Breast cancer is one of the most common malignancies amongst women all over the world. Nowadays gamma radiation therapy is the main method of treatment used against breast cancer, nevertheless radiotherapy affects both normal cells as well as cancer cells. Furthermore radiation therapy is becoming less effective method of treatment because there is a considerable amount of evidence, that cells which are identified and characterized as cancer stem cells (CSCs) with stem-cell-like properties develop an adaptive response to radiation. CSCs are non-specialized cells that are capable of uncontrollable proliferation, self-renewal and differentiation in order to sustain tumor growth and progression. Moreover CSCs have great potential to be used as a target for cancer therapy mainly of their ability to resist radiation therapy. The main purpose of our research was to determine fractionated ionizing radiation effect on MCF-7 cells morphology, viability, growth rate and accumulation of CdSe/ZnS carboxyl-coated quantum dots.