Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39739545›Full record

ArticleMolecular cancer therapeutics2025

Ultrahigh Dose Rate Helium Ion Beams: Minimizing Brain Tissue Damage while Preserving Tumor Control.

Ivana Dokic, Mahmoud Moustafa, Thomas Tessonnier, Sarah Meister, Federica Ciamarone, Mahdi Akbarpour, Damir Krunic, Thomas Haberer, Jürgen Debus, Andrea Mairani and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Molecular cancer therapeutics, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Microenvironmental remodeling in FLASH radiotherapy.Frontiers in cell and developmental biology · 2026
    Review
  5. Review
  6. Article
  7. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Ivana DokicClinical Cooperation Unit Translational Radiation Oncology, National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Heidelberg University Hospital (UKHD) and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.ORCID 0009-0003-7808-5366
Mahmoud MoustafaClinical Cooperation Unit Translational Radiation Oncology, National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Heidelberg University Hospital (UKHD) and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-9146-0808
Thomas TessonnierClinical Cooperation Unit Translational Radiation Oncology, National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Heidelberg University Hospital (UKHD) and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-8919-4299
Sarah MeisterClinical Cooperation Unit Translational Radiation Oncology, National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Heidelberg University Hospital (UKHD) and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.ORCID 0009-0003-5681-6367
Federica CiamaroneClinical Cooperation Unit Translational Radiation Oncology, National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Heidelberg University Hospital (UKHD) and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.ORCID 0009-0000-4696-2959
Mahdi AkbarpourClinical Cooperation Unit Translational Radiation Oncology, National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Heidelberg University Hospital (UKHD) and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-4369-3199
Damir KrunicLight Microscopy Facility, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-5615-627X
Thomas HabererHeidelberg Ion-Beam Therapy Center (HIT), Heidelberg, Germany.ORCID 0009-0006-2977-6891
Jürgen DebusClinical Cooperation Unit Translational Radiation Oncology, National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Heidelberg University Hospital (UKHD) and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-6411-4811
Andrea MairaniClinical Cooperation Unit Translational Radiation Oncology, National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Heidelberg University Hospital (UKHD) and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.ORCID 0000-0001-6669-7064
Amir AbdollahiClinical Cooperation Unit Translational Radiation Oncology, National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Heidelberg University Hospital (UKHD) and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-8016-5897

Funding

Translational Studies in FLASH Particle RadiotherapyP01CA257904 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · PI Mary E. Putt · 2022 to 2026
$14.2M
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) 404521405Deutschen Konsortium für Translationale Krebsforschung (DKTK)National Institutes of Health (NIH) NIH-1P01CA257904-01A1)NCI NIH HHS P01 CA257904
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Ultrahigh dose rate radiotherapy (RT) with electrons and protons has shown potential for cancer treatment by effectively targeting tumors while sparing healthy tissues (FLASH effect). This study aimed to investigate the potential FLASH sparing effect of ultrahigh dose rate helium ion irradiation, focusing on acute brain injury and subcutaneous tumor response in a preclinical in vivo setting. Raster-scanned helium ion beams were used to compare the effects of standard dose rate (SDR; at 0.2 Gy/second) and FLASH (at 141 Gy/second) RT on healthy brain tissue. Irradiation-induced brain injury was studied in C57BL/6 mice via DNA damage response, using nuclear γH2AX as a marker for double-strand breaks. The integrity of neurovascular and immune compartments was assessed through CD31+ microvascular density and activation of microglia/macrophages. IBA1+ ramified and CD68+ phagocytic microglia/macrophages were quantified, along with the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthetase. Tumor response to SDR (0.2 Gy/second) and FLASH (250 Gy/second) RT was evaluated in an A549 carcinoma model, using tumor volume and Kaplan-Meier survival as endpoints. The results showed that helium FLASH RT significantly reduced acute brain tissue injury compared with SDR, evidenced by lower levels of double-strand breaks and preserved the neurovascular endothelium. Additionally, FLASH RT reduced neuroinflammatory signals compared with SDR, as indicated by fewer CD68+ inducible nitric oxide synthetase-positive microglia/macrophages. FLASH RT achieved tumor control comparable with that of SDR RT. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to report the FLASH sparing effect of raster scanning helium ion RT in vivo, highlighting its potential for neuroprotection and effective tumor control.

Indexed as

BrainBrain InjuriesHeliumAnimalsCell Line, TumorDisease Models, AnimalHumansMiceMice, Inbred C57BLHelium

Identifiers

PMID39739545
PMCPMC12046314

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.