REMOTE - Mechanisms of the FLASH effect

<!--HTML--><p><span><span><span>A re-emergence of research implementing radiation delivery at ultra-high dose rates (UHDR) has triggered intense interest in the radiation sciences and has opened a new field of investigation in radiobiology. Much of the promise of UHDR irradiation involves the FLASH effect, an <em>in vivo</em> biological response observed to maintain anti-tumor efficacy without the normal tissue complications associated with standard doses and dose rate.&nbsp; The FLASH effect has been validated primarily, using intermediate energy electron beams able to deliver high doses (&gt;7 Gy) in a very short period of time (&lt;200 ms), but has also been found with photon and proton beams. The clinical implications of this new area of research are highly significant and as pioneers in this field, our group has developed a multidisciplinary research team focused on&nbsp; investigating the mechanisms and clinical translation of the FLASH effect. Here, I will give an overview of the physico-chemical to the biological mechanisms involved in the FLASH effect. </span></span></span></p> <p>Short bio:</p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><span><span><strong>Marie-Catherine Vozenin</strong> is head of radiobiology at Lausanne university hospital (CHUV/UNIL) and Associate Professor Radiation Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne- Switzerland.&nbsp;</span></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><span><span>Her research projects aim at finding innovative tools to protect normal tissue and enhance tumour control. Along with her team, Marie-Catherine Vozenin has developed a novel modality of radiation therapy called FLASH-RT that minimises normal tissue toxicity and eradicates tumours in various organs including the brain, lung and skin and in various species including mice, zebrafish, pigs and cats. The protection of normal tissue by FLASH-RT was termed the FLASH effect, resulting in a series of investigations to characterise the mechanisms involved. Marie-Catherine Vozenin and her team are investigating the entirely different biological response induced after FLASH exposure and have worked to secure the translation of FLASH-RT to cancer patients.</span></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>