title: Comment on 'Therapeutic application of metallic nanoparticles combined with particle-induced x-ray emission effect'.
abstract: A recent paper (Kim et al 2010 Nanotechnology 21 425102) presented results on the combination of irradiation by atomic ions of cells loaded by particles made of heavy atoms. They propose that the projectile induced x-rays emission (PIXE) mechanism has an important contribution to the enhancement of the cell death rate. Experiments made in our group to study the effects of such a combination have shown that the Auger effect induced in the high-Z atoms and the following induction of surrounding water radiolysis has an important contribution to the enhancement of the cell death rate. In the light of our studies we propose an alternative interpretation of the results presented in the paper by Kim et al.
authors.affiliation: CNRS, Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d'Orsay-ISMO (UMR 8214), Université Paris-Sud 11, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Claude
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Le Sech
authors.forename: Katsumi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Noriko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Usami
authors.forename: Yoshiya
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Furusawa
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Porcel
authors.forename: Sandrine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lacombe
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006046:Gold / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*
chemical_list: D006046:Gold; D007501:Iron