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| Home > In process > Evaluating Normal Tissue Preservation by FLASH Irradiation Using an Ex Vivo Lung Precision-Cut Tissue Slices Model |
| Conference Presentation (Invited) | PUBDB-2026-01198 |
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2026
Abstract: FLASH irradiation, which delivers radiation at ultra-high dose rates (UHDR), has emerged as a promising approach in radiotherapy, with the potential to spare healthy tissue while maintaining tumor control—one of the major challenges in cancer treatment. FLASHlab@PITZ, an R&D platform located at the Photo Injector Test Facility in Zeuthen (PITZ) at DESY, was established for preclinical radiobiological studies, leveraging the capability of PITZ to provide electron-based UHDR irradiation with adjustable dose rates for controlled comparative experiments. In vivo and in vitro studies are conducted at FLASHlab@PITZ with support from collaborators at the Technical University of Applied Sciences Wildau and the Max Delbrück Center.Our previous in vivo studies using zebrafish embryos at PITZ demonstrated that, in contrast to conventional (CONV) dose rates, UHDR electron irradiation significantly reduced radiation-induced toxicity while preserving normal spinal and cardiac morphology. Supporting in vitro results showed reduced reactive oxygen species production following UHDR irradiation compared to CONV dose rates, with a pronounced decrease in HEL299 lung fibroblasts, while A549 lung carcinoma cells showed minimal or no consistent change, further supporting a selective tissue-sparing effect associated with UHDR irradiation.Building on these findings, PITZ, in collaboration with Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane (MHB), has initiated a project to compare FLASH radiotherapy with CONV X-ray and electron irradiation using a living ex vivo organotypic lung model based on precision-cut tissue slices. The model is currently being established using X-ray irradiation alongside the development of additional analytical methods. The primary objective is to determine whether FLASH irradiation better preserves the integrity of normal lung tissue compared with conventional radiotherapy. Molecular and histological analyses will include assessment of DNA damage, cell proliferation, and approximately 30 additional protein markers using multiplex immunohistochemical staining. This work provides a promising framework for advancing mechanistic understanding of the FLASH effect while contributing to the development of alternative models to in vivo studies and novel diagnostic tools that may support personalized and biologically optimized radiotherapy.
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