Microbeam irradiation, Radioprotection and Radioenhancement

• Applicant: Professorin Elisabeth Schültke, Ph.D.
• Subject Area: Nuclear Medicine, Radiotherapy, Radiobiology
• Term: since 2018
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 415839020

This project is the continuation of the DFG-supported research project MIRa2 with the aim to establish microbeam irradiation research at the synchrotron PETRA III on the DESY campus in Hamburg. Within the first 3 years of the project run time we have 1. Conducted feasibility and pilot studies at two monochromatic PETRA III beamlines. 2. Characterized the incident beam at P61, the first and only white beam beamline at PETRA III, which has been open for external users since April 2021. 3. Commenced with design and construction of a mobile biomedical insert for microbeam irradiation research. 4. Appointed with DFG funding an engineer for beamline P61A, who is tasked with the construction of the mobile insert and the support of microbeam experiments. 5. Conducted, complementary to our logistic study at a PETRA III beamline, a successful experiment exploring the acute effects of microbeam radiotherapy at the Australian Synchrotron in Melbourne, in collaboration with colleagues from the Institute of Physiology at the Rostock University Medical Centre and the Centre of Medical Radiation Physics at the University of Wollongong. In these three years, we have been able to obtain a pretty good overview with regard to the type of microbeam experiments which are suited for PETRA III beamlines. The application to continue this project contains a) The further development of the 3D bioprint technique established in the Radiobiology Laboratory at the Rostock Department of Radiooncology within the last year, as basis to develop standards for the interinstitutional comparability in experimental radiotherapy and for the development of a biodosimetry protocol. b) The development of phantoms for biodoimetry in collaboration with the group of the UKE Hamburg. c) Comparison studies between two broad beam irradiation techniques using ultrafast dose deposition: photon-based FLASH radiotherapy at the synchrotron PETRA III and electron-based FLASH radiotherapy at a modified commercial linear accelerator at the University of Lund. d) Testing of a radioenhancer in microbeam radiotherapy and in FLASH radiotherapy, in several different tumour cell lines. e) Development of a phantom for access studies and dosimetry for experimental radiotherapy in the human head. During the run time of this continuation project, in collaboration with the Institute of Physiology at the Rostock University Medical Center, a young colleague in the Department of Radiooncology will supported in building up his research program focussing on radiogenic adverse effects (adverse effects caused by irradiation) of conventional radiotherapy, microbeam radiotherapy and FLASH radiotherapy.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Australia, Italy, Sweden
• Co-Investigator: Stefan Fiedler, Ph.D.
• Cooperation Partners: Professorin Dr. Fulvia Arfelli; Professor Crister Ceberg, Ph.D.; Professor Michael Lerch, Ph.D.; Professor Ralf Menk, Ph.D.