Previous studies using FLASH radiotherapy (RT) in mice showed a marked increase of the differential effect between normal tissue and tumors. To stimulate clinical transfer, we evaluated whether this effect could also occur in higher mammals. Pig skin was used to investigate a potential difference in toxicity between irradiation delivered at an ultrahigh dose rate called "FLASH-RT" and irradiation delivered at a conventional dose rate called "Conv-RT." A clinical, phase I, single-dose escalation trial (25-41 Gy) was performed in 6 cat patients with locally advanced T2/T3N0M0 squamous cell carcinoma of the nasal planum to determine the maximal tolerated dose and progression-free survival (PFS) of single-dose FLASH-RT. Using, respectively, depilation and fibronecrosis as acute and late endpoints, a protective effect of FLASH-RT was observed (≥20% dose-equivalent difference vs. Conv-RT). Three cats experienced no acute toxicity, whereas 3 exhibited moderate/mild transient mucositis, and all cats had depilation. With a median follow-up of 13.5 months, the PFS at 16 months was 84%.C Our results confirmed the potential advantage of FLASH-RT and provide a strong rationale for further evaluating FLASH-RT in human patients.

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Here, we highlight the potential translational benefits of delivering FLASH radiotherapy using ultra-high dose rates (>100 Gy·s −1 ). Compared with conventional dose-rate (CONV; 0.07-0.1 Gy·s −1 ) modalities, we showed that FLASH did not cause radiation-induced deficits in learning and memory in mice. Moreover, 6 months after exposure, CONV caused permanent alterations in neurocognitive end points, whereas FLASH did not induce behaviors characteristic of anxiety and depression and did not impair extinction memory. Mechanistic investigations showed that increasing the oxygen tension in the brain through carbogen breathing reversed the neuroprotective effects of FLASH, while radiochemical studies confirmed that FLASH produced lower levels of the toxic reactive oxygen species hydrogen peroxide. In addition, FLASH did not induce neuroinflammation, a process described as oxidative stress-dependent, and was also associated with a marked preservation of neuronal morphology and dendritic spine density. The remarkable normal tissue sparing afforded by FLASH may someday provide heretofore unrealized opportunities for dose escalation to the tumor bed, capabilities that promise to hasten the translation of this groundbreaking irradiation modality into clinical practice.ultra-high dose-rate irradiation | cognitive dysfunction | neuronal morphology | neuroinflammation | reactive oxygen species R adiation therapy (RT) remains an essential part of cancer treatment, and, today, the benefit of RT would increase dramatically if normal tissues surrounding the tumor could tolerate higher doses of radiation (1-3). In the last decade, major advances in high-precision treatment delivery and multimodal imaging have improved tolerance to RT (4), but the selective protection of normal tissue remains a significant clinical challenge and the radiation-induced toxicities still adversely impact the patient's quality of life. This latter fact largely remains an unmet medical need, and points to the urgency of developing improved RT modalities for combating those cancers refractory to treatment.This issue is especially critical for those afflicted with brain tumors, including glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), for which standard treatment consists of surgical resection followed by RT and concomitant chemotherapy (temozolomide). Typical radiotherapeutic protocols for GBM induce neurocognitive complications, including impairments in learning and memory, attention, and executive function and a variety of mood disorders (5-8). A breadth of past work from our laboratories has linked adverse neurocognitive outcomes following cranial irradiation to a range of neuropathologies, including reductions in dendritic complexity and spine density (9-12), reductions in microvascular density (13-15), reduced myelination and synapse density, and increased neuroinflammation (16,17). These changes are persistent and problematic in the conventionally irradiated brain and have prompted efforts to more fully develop a truly innovative approach to RT, where we have concept...

Radiotherapy is a cornerstone of both curative and palliative cancer care. However, radiotherapy is severely limited by radiation-induced toxicities. If these toxicities could be reduced, a greater dose of radiation could be given therefore facilitating a better tumor response. Initial pre-clinical studies have shown that irradiation at dose rates far exceeding those currently used in clinical contexts reduce radiation-induced toxicities whilst maintaining an equivalent tumor response. This is known as the FLASH effect. To date, a single patient has been subjected to FLASH radiotherapy for the treatment of subcutaneous T-cell lymphoma resulting in complete response and minimal toxicities. The mechanism responsible for reduced tissue toxicity following FLASH radiotherapy is yet to be elucidated, but the most prominent hypothesis so far proposed is that acute oxygen depletion occurs within the irradiated tissue. This review examines the tissue response to FLASH radiotherapy, critically evaluates the evidence supporting hypotheses surrounding the biological basis of the FLASH effect, and considers the potential for FLASH radiotherapy to be translated into clinical contexts.