Effect of magnetite composite on the amount of double strand breaks induced with X-rays

The aim of this study was to find out if polylactide (PLA) modified with magnetite might affect the amount of DNA double strand breaks induced with X-rays. The human osteosarcoma cells (MG63) were seeded on the polystyrene cell culture dishes (PS), PLA and PLA modified with magnetite substrates. The double strand breaks were analyzed after X-ray irradiation (dose rate 2 Gy/min), in the first day of culturing. The number of double strand breaks increased in the PLA modified with magnetite, for example after 1 Gy of X-rays irradiation, double strand breaks/cell equaled: 24.5 vs. 17.5 and 17.3, for PLA modified with magnetite vs. PLA and PS, p < 0.0003. We conclude that PLA modified with magnetite changed the number of double strand breaks induced with X-rays. However, more research is needed to confirm that such composite might be considered as radiosensitizer in radiotherapy.