“The new data show that protons produce more potentially lethal double-strand breaks, a type of severe DNA damage, than other kinds of DNA damages. This means that scientists don't really know how human DNA is affected by the most numerous particles in space and, as a result, do not know how to design the proper protection for astronauts.”
“Our study shows that we need to re-evaluate the effect of protons on biological systems, even the effects of low-energy protons. For example, low-energy protons are routinely used in cancer-tumor therapy, but there has been almost no research done on the effect of protons in tumor cells because everyone has assumed that they act similarly to other low LET radiation types, like x-rays. Therefore, this work may help lead to improved cancer therapy.”
