Funded by: Stifterverband

Duration: 2010 - 2014

Responsible project manager: Dr. S. Schmitz

Objectives

The aim of the project is to compare the in vitro radiosensitivity of prostate cancer patients with and without clinical side effects and of age-matched normal donors. The studies will be used to identify biological indicators of individual radiosensitivity. To this end, blood samples from patients after the end of radiotherapy and from healthy volunteers will be irradiated in vitro and then comparatively analyzed using methods of molecular cytogenetics with regard to the effects of ionizing radiation on human blood cells (lymphocytes). Here, the analysis of the damage patterns of chromosomes 2, 11 and 17 is in the foreground, which will be investigated by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH).

Background

The trait "individual radiosensitivity" is heterogeneously distributed in the normal population. It is estimated that about 10% of individuals are particularly sensitive to ionizing radiation. Among other things, these individuals have an increased risk of developing adverse radiation reactions of normal tissue (side effects) during cancer treatment in terms of radiotherapy. Identification of radiation-sensitive individuals prior to treatment could lead to individualized radiation therapy in the future. Dose reduction will benefit sensitive patients by reducing side effects. For normal or even rather insensitive patients, on the other hand, dose escalation could even lead to an increased cure rate. The mechanisms underlying individual radiosensitivity are still largely unknown and are therefore the subject of basic research in radiobiology, which is also important for radiation protection.