In vitro studies of Cholangiocarcinoma cell lines response to X-rays and Neutron irradiation

Abstract

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is an aggressive cancer that is prevalent in the northeastern part of Thailand. Surgical treatment is the gold standard for CCA treatment, but some CCA patients are inoperable. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy are alternative treatments to improve the quality of life of patients. However, the effect of radiotherapy on CCA treatment is still unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of X-rays and neutron beams on the human CCA cell line (KKU-055). First, KKU-055 cells were irradiated using 6 MV X-rays with a dose range of 0–5 Gy at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital (KCMH) to obtain reference data. Next, cells were exposed to thermal neutron beams with doses ranging from 0 to 5 Gy using the Thai Research Reactor-1/Modification 1 (TRR-1/M1) at the Thailand Institute of Nuclear Technology (TINT). After neutron irradiation, survival curves were studied, and the relative biological effectiveness (RBE) was investigated. The findings revealed that the survival rate of the KKU-055 cells under X-ray irradiation is lower than that of neutron beams. To increase neutron interaction with the DNA of CCA cell lines, we plan to introduce boron compounds to CCA cell lines prior to neutron irradiation. This technique is referred to as boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT).