Toward Future Radiotherapy: Beams Characterization through Physical and Radiobiological Modeling

Dear Colleagues,

Particle therapy, using protons or heavier ions, is an innovative type of radiation treatment (RT) that opens up new possibilities for cancer treatment, thanks to the possibility of delivering the maximum dose to the tumor along the so-called Bragg peak, minimizing damage to surrounding normal tissues. In addition, “FLASH” radiotherapy is another promising innovation due to the interesting effect observed, i.e., normal tissue being spared when treatments are delivered with larger dose rates (100 times or more) with respect to the conventional ones.

In this scenario, moving from the bench to the bedside in radiobiology studies is complicated and requires feasibility evaluations, as well as dosimetric and irradiation setups, changing and adapting every time to the beam type used, thus generating variability among the results obtained worldwide. Indeed, the beam quality or dimension often requires specific sample support adaptation and appropriate radiobiological model selection (i.e., the cell type and quantity, irradiation mode of preclinical models, etc.). Furthermore, choosing the correct radiobiological models strongly affects the possibility to obtain information on gene and protein expression, omics biomarkers, the percent of cancer stem cells, and the activation of the bystander effect or hypoxia, which are also strongly related to radiation regimens and dosage.

Aim. This Special Issue will give the readers an insight into worldwide research on these topics and will try to highlight the most effective radiobiological models used in every specific irradiation condition for several beam types.

Proposed Letter

To date, radiobiology research has required feasibility assessments as well as the adaption of dosimetric and irradiation settings to appropriate in vitro or in vivo models, based on the type of beam used. Thus, these steps are crucial in order to obtain accurate results in terms of survival and molecular response to the innovative treatments using particle beams and FLASH radiotherapy.

We are pleased to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue which will give the readers an insight into the worldwide research on these topics and will try to highlight the most effective radiobiological models and settings, used in every specific irradiation condition for several types of the beam. We encourage scientists to deeply describe their cellular and molecular results obtained in each specific irradiation condition.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome regarding the following research areas:

• Particle therapy studies through physical and radiobiological models.
• FLASH radiotherapy studies through physical and radiobiological models.
• Radiation detection, dosimetry and Monte Carlo simulations applied to radiobiological studies.
• Use of different radiobiological in vitro models: immortalized; primary and genetically engineered cells.
• Use of different radiobiological in vivo models: from Zebrafish to mammals.
• Radiobiological models for personalized radiation therapy.

 We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Giusi Irma Forte
Dr. Valentina Bravatà
Guest Editors

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• particle therapy
• FLASH radiotherapy
• radiobiological models
• in vitro and preclinical studies
• omics sciences
• radiation detection, modelling, dosimetry and Monte Carlo simulations applied to radiobiological studies