An official website of the United States government.
Date posted
Funding Agency
(Funded by the National Institutes of Health)
Radiation kills tumors by creating oxygen free radicals that damage the tumor DNA. However, the lack of oxygen in the center of tumors blocks the production of free radicals, inhibiting radiation killing. Researchers have now designed a nanoparticle that generates radiation-induced oxygen free radicals even in the low-oxygen center of tumors, dramatically increasing the success of radiation therapy.
