Terahertz Radiation's Impact on Skin Cancer Cell Metabolism Discovered at the Institute of Nuclear Physics

Research Shows How THz Radiation Alters Melanoma Cell Metabolism

Researchers from the G. I. Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics SB RAS have discovered that terahertz radiation affects the energy metabolism of melanoma cells. These fundamental studies broaden the understanding of the biological effects of terahertz radiation and cellular responses to it.

Culture flasks with melanoma cells in an incubator
Image source G. I. Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics SB RAS

During the experiment, scientists exposed three groups of cells to different types of radiation: the first was irradiated with terahertz radiation, the second with infrared, and the third served as a control. According to Ekaterina Butikova, an employee of the Novosibirsk Research Institute of Clinical and Experimental Lymphology, THz radiation disrupts the structure of lipid rafts - special areas of the plasma membrane, which affects the movement of mitochondria. These organelles provide cells with energy by combining nutrients from glucose and fats with oxygen. At the same time, the proteins of the cells remain unchanged.

Metabolomic screening showed that THz radiation caused changes in the content of 40 metabolites. These metabolic effects were specific to the terahertz range and differed from the changes caused by infrared radiation, which has a thermal effect. Scientists continue research to study the mechanisms of the influence of THz radiation on cancer cells in more detail.

Melanoma is an aggressive malignant tumor that arises from melanocytes - skin cells that produce the pigment melanin. Terahertz radiation (THzI) is located between the microwave and infrared ranges of the electromagnetic spectrum and is actively used in biomedicine, in particular, in the diagnosis of oncological diseases. However, the mechanisms of its effect on living systems have not been sufficiently studied, which makes such studies relevant.