Radiation effects
With this task area, we aim to enhance the understanding of radiation effects of dose caused by protons on different scales, ranging from the cellular level to the level of patients. The research projects address the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in PT and the potential of biocompatible nanoparticle sensitization in 2D and 3D cell cultures. They also include studies on the impact of proton irradiation on the biophysical properties and behavior of heart cells and cell networks. Furthermore, the research projects are concerned with the connection between hypofractionated PT and the relative biological effectiveness (RBE), as well as the translation of the recently developed clean dose concept into the clinical practice, which also focuses on the RBE. The clinical relevance of the expected results comprises a far better understanding of side effects from PT as well as their mitigation.
The therapeutic impact and role of different types of reactive oxygen species in PT – Imaging invisible cues of cell response to proton radiation
The impact of radiation on the collective behavior of heart cells
Spatially-variable, fractionation dependent RBE and the potential of hypofractionated proton therapy
The clean dose concept: Reducing the risk of unexpected toxicity in proton therapy