Our Theoretical Model Highlighted in a Recent Review by Prof. Léon Sanche

It is a great honor to see our recent theoretical and experimental efforts prominently featured in a new colloquium article by Prof. Léon Sanche, a renowned pioneer in the field of low-energy electron (LEE) radiobiology. The review, titled “Cellular DNA damage induced by low-energy (0-20 eV) electrons,” was recently published in the European Physical Journal D.

In Section 4.2: Modeling LEE-induced DNA damage in live cells by femtosecond laser microirradiation, Prof. Sanche addresses one of the most significant challenges in modern radiobiology: how to accurately probe the action of LEEs within the complex environment of a living cell nucleus.

To bridge this gap, the review extensively discusses our collaborative live-cell microirradiation experiments (Schmalz et al., PNAS 2023). More importantly, Prof. Sanche highlights that the quantification of these biological damage yields fundamentally relies on our numerical simulations. Specifically, he emphasizes the utility of our multi-rate-equation model (Liang et al., Opt. Express 2019), initially developed for laser-induced plasma in water.

By extending this theoretical framework to include DNA constituents (such as the ionization of guanine), we were able to successfully predict:

1. Electron densities inside the focal volume.
2. The LEE energy spectra at different laser wavelengths.
3. The resulting damage yields from both direct electron interactions and reactive OH radicals.

As Prof. Sanche notes, discriminating between photon-mediated and LEE-induced pathways in live cells is incredibly complex. We are thrilled that our theoretical modeling could provide a reliable route to solve this puzzle, offering a new perspective for future applications in targeted chemoradiation therapy and precise laser nanosurgery.