Independent Reproduction of the FLASH Effect on the Gastrointestinal Tract: A Multi-Institutional Comparative Study

Authors

Anet Valdés Zayas
Neeraj Kumari
Kevin Liu
Denae Neill
Abagail Delahoussaye
Patrik Gonçalves Jorge
Reiner Geyer
Steven H Lin
Claude Bailat
François Bochud
Raphael Moeckli
Albert C Koong
Jean Bourhis
Cullen M Taniguchi
Fernanda G Herrera
Emil Schüler

Publication Date

4-2-2023

Journal

Cancers

Abstract

FLASH radiation therapy (RT) is a promising new paradigm in radiation oncology. However, a major question that remains is the robustness and reproducibility of the FLASH effect when different irradiators are used on animals or patients with different genetic backgrounds, diets, and microbiomes, all of which can influence the effects of radiation on normal tissues. To address questions of rigor and reproducibility across different centers, we analyzed independent data sets from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and from Lausanne University (CHUV). Both centers investigated acute effects after total abdominal irradiation to C57BL/6 animals delivered by the FLASH Mobetron system. The two centers used similar beam parameters but otherwise conducted the studies independently. The FLASH-enabled animal survival and intestinal crypt regeneration after irradiation were comparable between the two centers. These findings, together with previously published data using a converted linear accelerator, show that a robust and reproducible FLASH effect can be induced as long as the same set of irradiation parameters are used.

Keywords

ultra-high dose rate, FLASH, radiation oncology, radiation therapy, multi-institutional, gastrointestinal toxicity, radiation response, crypt assay

Comments

Data Availability Statement

PMID: 37046782