Functional genomic investigation of the molecular biological impact of electron beam radiation in lymphoma cells

Abstract Purpose The biological response of electron beam radiation (EBR) in tumors remains underexplored. This study describes the molecular biological and genomic impact of EBR on tumor cells. Methods Mouse model bearing Dalton’s lymphoma ascites (DLA) cells were exposed to 8 MeV pulsed electron beam, at a dose rate of 2 Gy min-1 using microtron, a linear accelerator (linac). Radiation induced changes were assessed by histopathology, FACS, signaling pathway focused reporter assays and gene expression by microarray analysis. Results EBR was found to increase apoptosis and G2-M cell cycle arrest with concomitant tumor regression in vivo . Microarray data revealed that EBR induced tumor regression, apoptosis and cell cycle arrest mediated by p53, PPAR and SMAD2/3/4 signaling pathways. Activation of IRF & NFkB signaling were also found upon EBR. Chemo-genomics exploration revealed the possibility of drugs that can be effectively used in combination with EBR. Conclusion For the first time, 8 MeV pulse EBR induced genomic changes and their consequence in molecular and biological processes were identified in lymphoma cells. The comprehensive investigation of radiation-mediated responses in cancer cells also revealed the potential therapeutic features of EBR.