Non-thermal effect of terahertz wave radiation on DNA damage repair in living cells

Abstract

DNA damage, which is constantly caused by exogenous and endogenous factors, is subject to immediate repair processes; delays in these repair processes cause diseases. Here, we demonstrated that terahertz irradiation enhances the repair processes of DNA double-strand break by a non-thermal effect. The modulation of DNA damage repair by terahertz irradiation provides a non-invasive method with potential medical applications, such as prevention and suppression of diseases caused by DNA instability.