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Terahertz waves will potentially be used to manipulate cellular function to treat cancer.

The researchers' newly published article found that terahertz waves can affect proteins in cells without killing the cells themselves. Hertzian waves may have applications in manipulating cellular function to treat cancer.
Terahertz waves are the part of the electromagnetic spectrum between microwaves and infrared light, often referred to as the terahertz gap due to the current lack of technology to efficiently manipulate them. Because terahertz waves are absorbed by liquids and don't ionize, meaning they don't damage DNA like X-rays, there are current industry efforts to use terahertz in areas such as airport baggage screening. Terahertz is generally considered safe for use in tissues.
The research team chose to work with a protein called actin, a type of muscle structural protein that plays an important role in muscle movement and is a key element that provides structure to living cells. It can exist as a free monomer of G-actin (globular) or as part of the linear polymer filaments of F-actin (filamentous), which have different structures and functions.
In an experiment where the polymerization of actin is affected by terahertz waves in aqueous solution. The wave source uses the Terahertz Free Electron Laser Facility (THz-FEL) at Osaka University, and the radiation flux is greater than 2 mJ/cm2. The terahertz beam is focused by an off-axis parabolic mirror (focal length 102 mm), the sample is 25 mm away from the focus, and the beam diameter at the sample is 4 mm. The terahertz power density is tuned by a terahertz attenuator and a pair of wire grid polarizers. The actin solution was placed in a thin-film vessel, and terahertz waves were applied to the bottom of the vessel through an off-axis mirror. After 30 minutes of terahertz wave, a part of the actin solution was collected for fluorescence microscope observation. The experiments found that the terahertz light somehow prevented (G)-actin from forming chains and becoming (F)-actin.
This study demonstrates that terahertz pulses alter the morphology of actin filaments in aqueous solution via shock waves. THz waves can affect not only the surface of the human body, but also tissues several millimeters below the surface, so this penetration should be considered when developing safety standards for high-power terahertz waves. The findings also suggest that terahertz waves may be suitable for the regulation of actin filaments for the nondestructive manipulation of cells.