Development and characterization of phantoms to investigate the Flash effect with <i>Drosophila melanogaster</i> at an ultra-high dose rate radiotherapy linac.

ABSTRACT:

Background and purpose

Ultra-high dose rate (UHDR) radiotherapy may widen the therapeutic window thanks to the Flash effect. Experimental linear accelerators have been converted to UHDR to collect pre-clinical evidence. Increasing the accessibility, throughput and investigating additional biological endpoints is key for deciphering the mechanism of the Flash effect. The aim of this study was to develop and characterise an experimental platform for UHDR experiments with Drosophila melanogaster, i.e. the fruit fly.

Materials and methods

A clinical linear accelerator was modified to deliver 16 MeV electron beams in UHDR and conventional (CONV) mode. Two phantoms were developed to irradiate Drosophila melanogaster. The characterization was based both on active (ult

SUBMITTER: Dal Bello R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12481075 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature