ERadiation therapy can not only destroy tumors directly, but also stimulate the patient’s immune system so that it can better fight the cancer. Researchers from the Universities of Darmstadt, Frankfurt and Homburg and the GSI Helmholtz Center for Heavy Ion Research have found further evidence for this assumption.
The scientists were able to show that clinically relevant doses of X-rays lead to a change in calcium metabolism in T lymphocytes. As a result, a transcription factor moves from the cytoplasm into the cell nucleus, where it stimulates the production of messenger substances that are important for the immune response.
In this way, the lymphocytes could be stimulated to attack tumor cells. According to the scientists, medicine could take advantage of this effect, since radiation treatment always hits blood cells in the target tissue.
Here is the link to the study.