Mitochondrial Responses to Conventional and Ultra-high Dose Rate (FLASH) Radiation.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

Ultra-high dose rate (>40 Gy/s, FLASH) radiation therapy (RT) provides equivalent tumor control while reducing normal tissue toxicity relative to conventional dose rate (CONV) RT. However, the mechanisms underlying the observed FLASH effect are unknown. We hypothesized that the preservation of mitochondrial integrity in nontumorigenic cells by FLASH RT could be a key factor in reducing normal tissue toxicity and improving overall treatment outcomes.

Methods

We examined mitochondrial health and function after CONV and FLASH in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo through assays of metabolic flux, mitochondrial membrane potential, mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS), mitochondrial DNA damage and copy number, mitochondrial morphology, and tumor growth and survival.

Re

SUBMITTER: Caggiano EG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12026588 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature