New paper in Advanced Healthcare Materials

13 11 2025

Check out our new paper in Advanced Healthcare Materials, co-authored by Prof. Grzegorz Litwinienko in collaboration with Dr. Jacek Grębowski from the University of Lodz (Poland).

Metallofullerenol Sc3N@C80(OH)18: A New Generation Radioprotector Protecting Human Erythrocytes Against Multiple Biochemical Damage Modes Upon Gamma Irradiation, Identifying It as a Scavenger of Short- and Long-Lived Radicals
Adv. Healthcare Mater. 2025, e02621, DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202502621

Metallofullerenols (MFs), functionalized endohedral fullerenes, combine atomic, molecular, and supramolecular features, offering unique antioxidant properties for radioprotection. This study focuses on Sc₃N@C₈₀(OH)₁₈ and its interaction with high-energy radiation and reactive oxygen species (ROS). Preclinical tests confirm its low toxicity and high efficiency as a redox mediator. The compound protects human erythrocytes from γ-radiation-induced hemolysis, reducing membrane protein degradation up to 2.1 kGy. Pulse radiolysis shows a rate constant of 1.29 × 10⁷ dm³ mol⁻¹ s⁻¹ for its reaction with CCl₃OO• radicals. These results suggest that ROS scavenging and membrane interaction underlie its radioprotective effect, highlighting Sc₃N@C₈₀(OH)₁₈ as a promising candidate for applications in cancer therapy and nuclear safety.