Compact upright proton therapy for much faster treatments
Official title: A compact beam delivery system enabling ultra-fast dose delivery for upright proton therapy
Funded at Massachusetts General Hospital · NIH-11294180 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project builds a smaller proton therapy beam-delivery system so people with cancer—especially children and those with moving tumors—can get treatments in seconds instead of minutes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R37 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts General Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | March 1, 2024 |
| Project end | February 28, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $487,665 |
| NIH project number | 5R37CA288343-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11294180 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People whose cancers are treated with proton therapy—particularly pediatric patients and those with tumors that move with breathing—would be the most likely candidates for related clinical validation or future treatments.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose cancers are not managed with proton therapy or who already do well with conventional radiotherapy may not see direct benefit from this technology in the near term.
What this research studies
This project will make proton therapy faster and more compact by using a new beam design (Fixed‑Field Alternating Gradient) and an ultra‑fast energy degrader. The team will build and test a full‑size degrader prototype, simulate the beam transport, and design the system to fit inside a single upright treatment room. Delivering each treatment field in a few seconds could help doctors treat tumors that move with breathing more accurately and reduce motion-related side effects. Shorter sessions and lower facility costs could make proton therapy more comfortable and available to more patients, including children.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could have much shorter treatment sessions, improved accuracy for moving tumors, and wider access to proton therapy at lower cost.
How similar studies have gone: Compact proton systems and beam‑delivery improvements exist, but combining FFA lattices with an ultra‑fast degrader for upright, single‑room treatment is relatively novel and early‑stage.
Where this research is happening
-
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Nesteruk, Konrad Pawel — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Nesteruk, Konrad Pawel
Related research
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AI-guided proton therapy that adapts during treatment for head and neck cancer
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.