Research on survival of А549 tumor cells under proton beam irradiation in flash and conventional mode

Publications, 29 August 2023

We offer to your attention a preprint “Research on survival of А549 tumor cells under proton beam irradiation in flash and conventional mode” P19-2023-31 issued by the JINR Publishing Department. The authors are Anna Rzyanina, Gennady Mitsyn, Alexey Agapov, Evgenia Gritskova, Svetlana Uglova, Victor Gaevsky, Konstantin Shipulin, Indira Hasenova.

Flash radiotherapy is an innovative method of irradiation, which ensures the delivery of the therapeutic dose to the pathological focus in a time of about several tens of milliseconds. In this mode of irradiation, the degree of damage to normal tissues surrounding the tumor and falling under the influence of radiation decreases; at the same time, the effect on cancer cells remains almost at the same level, which improves the prospect of local control of the tumor with a lower frequency of side effects. To date, the exact radiobiological mechanisms underlying the flash effect are not fully clear.

The paper presents the results on the delivery of a high-intensity proton beam with an energy of 660 MeV from the Phasotron of JINR (Dubna) designed for radiobiological studies under flash technique of irradiation of cell cultures and small laboratory animals (mice, rats). The survival rate of A549 cells under proton beam irradiation in two modes, flash and standard, was also compared.

The study has been performed at the Dzhelepov Laboratory of Nuclear Problems at JINR.