biostudies-literatureShuryak INIAID NIH HHS50-59https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC7775901biostudies-literatureUnknown97(1)<h4>Purpose</h4>The linear-quadratic (LQ) model represents a simple and robust approximation for many mechanistically-motivated models of radiation effects. We believe its tendency to overestimate cell killing at high doses derives from the usual assumption that radiogenic lesions are distributed according to Poisson statistics.<h4>Materials and methods</h4>In that context, we investigated the effects of overdispersed lesion distributions, such as might occur from considerations of microdosimetric energy deposition patterns, differences in DNA damage complexities and repair pathways, and/or heterogeneity of cell responses to radiation. Such overdispersion has the potential to reduce dose response curvature at high doses, while still retaining LQ dose dependence in terms of the number of <iInternational journal of radiation biologyAccounting for overdispersion of lethal lesions in the linear quadratic model improves performance at both high and low radiation doses.PMC7775901U19 AI067773Cornforth MNShuryak IfalseAccounting for overdispersion of lethal lesions in the linear quadratic model improves performance at both high and low radiation doses.<h4>Purpose</h4>The linear-quadratic (LQ) model represents a simple and robust approximation for many mechanistically-motivated models of radiation effects. We believe its tendency to overestimate cell killing at high doses derives from the usual assumption that radiogenic lesions are distributed according to Poisson statistics.<h4>Materials and methods</h4>In that context, we investigated the effects of overdispersed lesion distributions, such as might occur from considerations of microdosimetric energy deposition patterns, differences in DNA damage complexities and repair pathways, and/or heterogeneity of cell responses to radiation. Such overdispersion has the potential to reduce dose response curvature at high doses, while still retaining LQ dose dependence in terms of the number of <i2021-01-01T00:00:00Z20212025-04-21T21:39:30.047Z2022-02-11T13:38:55.602ZS-EPMC77759013255222310.1080/09553002.2020.1784489