title: Reactive scattering damage to DNA components by hyperthermal secondary ions.
abstract: We have observed reactive scattering damage to fundamental DNA building blocks by the type of hyperthermal secondary ions that are produced along heavy ion tracks in biological media. Reactions include carbon abstraction by N+, and hydrogen abstraction by O- and N+, at collision energies down to 1 eV. Our results show that localized reactive scattering by hyperthermal secondary fragments can lead to important physicochemical damage to DNA in cells irradiated by heavy ions. This suggests a fundamentally different picture of nascent DNA damage induced by heavy ion tracks, compared to conventional (x or gamma) radiation tracks.
authors.affiliation: Ion Reaction Laboratory, Department of Nuclear Medicine and Radiobiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, J1H 5N4, Canada.
authors.forename: Zongwu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: Ilko
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bald
authors.forename: Eugen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Illenberger
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Huels