Reactive Molecular Dynamics study on the first steps of DNA-damage by   free hydroxyl radicals
  We employ a large scale molecular simulation based on bond-order ReaxFF to simulate the chemical reaction and study the damage to a large fragment of DNA-molecule in the solution by ionizing radiation. We illustrate that the randomly distributed clusters of diatomic OH-radicals that are primary products of megavoltage ionizing radiation in water-based systems are the main source of hydrogen-abstraction as well as formation of carbonyl- and hydroxyl-groups in the sugar-moiety that create holes in the sugar-rings. These holes grow up slowly between DNA-bases and DNA-backbone and the damage collectively propagate to DNA single and double strand break. 
Ramin M. Abolfath, A. C. T. van Duin, Thomas Brabec
physics.bio-ph physics.chem-ph physics.comp-ph