Terahertz frequency therapy has shown promising results in treating oral cancer, thanks to its non-ionising radiation which penetrates deeply into soft tissues.
This technology offers significant improvements over traditional imaging modalities and can also distinguish tissue boundaries with great accuracy.
THz irradiation was found to significantly accelerate earthworm blood vessel growth, similar to heat or cold shock treatments.
Low energy levels
Terahertz (THz) radiation boasts low energy levels compared to other electromagnetic fields and may be safely applied on sensitive tissues, like cornea, without harm. THz technology may even reduce antibiotic and steroid treatments as an option; however, further research must be completed to establish its mechanism and biosafety.
THz radiation alters the structural properties of cells, such as increasing membrane permeability and DNA demethylation, altering gene expression, altering their morphology, and altering gene expression, making it an attractive tool for biomedical applications. However, its response can differ in different tissues; understanding its interactions is also vital to success in using THz waves safely.
Researchers recently examined the effect of THz radiation on human embryonic stem cells cultured in vitro, and determined its cytotoxicity was dependent on frequency and intensity; low intensity exposure had no discernible impact, while higher intensity caused significant genotoxicity.
Another study examined the effects of THz irradiation on corneal tissue of rabbits with partial and full-thickness burns. Researchers discovered that reflectivity correlated well with Corneal Total Water Content (CTWC), measured using ultrasound. This suggests THz imaging may provide an effective tool for assessing corneal integrity as well as monitoring for burn edemas.
THz irradiation may cause thermal heating of skin tissue, with its response depending on moisture content and structure of skin. Furthermore, absorption coefficient of THz radiation varies according to skin structure; for this reason it is crucial that target regions and conditions be carefully chosen as these elements will have a significant impact on imaging results using THz technology.
Coherence
Terahertz radiation for medical diagnostics and therapy poses several technical hurdles. These include its high frequency that may cause biological damage as well as its large absorption coefficient of tissues. Furthermore, THz waves lack coherence which limits their spatial penetration; but these issues can be overcome through proper device design and exposure parameters.
Interacting with different kinds of tissues requires an intricate knowledge of their physical, mechanical, and chemical properties as well as understanding their geometry and organization of scatterers for accurate measurement of THz signals.
Studies of THz radiation have demonstrated its therapeutic potential by altering biological cell structures and altering protein structures, as demonstrated in studies on bovine serum albumin (BSA). Pulsed THz radiation reduced disordered structures by increasing the ratio of -helices to sheets; as a result of this change the protein displayed an improved folding pattern.
Another study involved treating acute ischemic stroke patients with continuous-wave and pulsed THz radiation to help reduce time required to regain consciousness, improve neurological symptoms, and enhance recovery. While this research is in its initial phases, further investigation should be performed into its impact on brain structures.
Another study using THz radiation on human skin cells discovered that THz absorption increased with increasing epidermis thickness due to an increase in water content of tissue; this phenomenon may help develop label-free systems for cancer detection.
THz irradiation can be used to induce angiogenesis in the brain, which may help alleviate symptoms associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Angiogenesis helps decrease memory-robbing plaque buildup while simultaneously decreasing inflammation markers in blood and decreasing inflammation markers associated with memory loss. Furthermore, one mouse study showed that THz-irradiated skin led to more new blood vessels being created than unirradiated skin did.
Safety
Terahertz (THz) waves are one million times lower than X-rays and have no ionising properties, making them an ideal radiation source for medical applications. Their waves penetrate deeply into materials while being strongly absorbed by polar molecules such as water in its liquid and gas states, making them extremely sensitive to changes in tissue structures that might signal disease.
THz imaging is an exciting application of THz technology; however, some limitations must be overcome in order to maximize its use in clinical settings. THz systems typically utilize raster scanning techniques that measure the terahertz signal at every point in an area; this may take an inordinately long amount of time when dealing with large samples or those having high degrees of occlusion.
THz imaging systems typically require significant power for image production, which limits their application in medical applications, particularly in vivo. Furthermore, occlusion may produce artefactual signals or lead to false negative results; as a result, it’s essential that THz imaging systems are aware of its impact on performance.
Terahertz waves’ interactions with different materials is another major drawback of THz radiation technology, and can limit its usefulness for applications like spectroscopy. How the waves interact with materials depends on density, porosity, surface roughness and chemical makeup of that particular material; so before applying this technology in clinical settings it’s crucial to first identify how THz radiation interacts with specific substances.
Recently, human neural stem cells were exposed to pulsed THz radiation and evaluated for genotoxicity and morphological changes. The experiment demonstrated that exposure did not lead to any chromosomal damage or cell apoptosis and did not influence proliferation or differentiation processes; suggesting its use for medical applications may be safe; further research is required in order to establish safe limits of THz exposure for tissues and cells that take into account both thermal effects as well as non-thermal impacts of THz radiation exposure.
Potential
Since biomacromolecule vibration and rotation energies reside within the terahertz (THz) frequency range, THz technology offers immense promise in medical imaging and therapy applications. Since THz radiation does not ionize molecules like X-rays do, THz radiation provides an alternative safe form of imaging with which many cancer patients can be monitored as well as measuring soft tissues where most cancers originate; THz also allows researchers to examine tumor cell DNA to ascertain resistance to treatment methods.
THz radiation’s capacity to penetrate deep into wet biomedical tissues is promising, though its success relies on absorption by water molecules absorbed by it. Researchers have proposed freezing techniques as an innovative solution to increase penetration depth; these use an approach wherein ice has an absorbance level one order of magnitude lower than water at room temperature.
THz irradiation has the capacity to alter gene expression, membrane permeability and DNA demethylation; all effects that can help treat diseases like cancer, inflammation and neurodegeneration. THz can even promote blood vessel development in earthworms for repair of damaged blood vessels as well as stimulate proliferation of hematopoietic stem cells while suppressing tumor growth.
THz therapy could also play an integral part in preventing Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Studies have demonstrated that THz irradiation can inhibit the aggregation of beta amyloid oligomers and improve cognitive function while simultaneously decreasing amyloid beta levels in AD mice brains.
Further study into the effects of THz waves on neurons is required in order to understand how they can benefit human brain health and treat neuropathic pain. Researchers must specifically explore various parameters, including pulse duration and power, in order to create new strategies for treating neuropathic pain that lead to improved patient outcomes. Eventually, THz therapy could prove invaluable in decreasing patient suffering from neuropathic discomfort; providing safe yet effective alternatives for painkillers that often come with side effects over time.
