Ionization Detail to Improve Particle Therapy Planning
Official title: Ionization Detail - Biologically based treatment planning for particle therapy beyond LET-RBE
Funded at University of California, San Francisco · NIH-11406282 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Aims to use a new measure called ionization detail to better predict how different ion beams affect biology, with the goal of improving treatment plans for proton and carbon therapy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $595,665 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA266467-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11406282 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients receiving proton or carbon therapy who could benefit from more accurate and personalized treatment planning.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not receiving particle therapy or those not eligible for adaptive planning studies may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This project from UCSF seeks to replace or augment current planning methods that rely on LET and conventional RBE models by using ionization detail to forecast tissue responses more accurately at the nanometer scale. The team will integrate ID into existing models to enhance dose prescriptions for charged-particle therapy. If successful, this could lead to more precise treatments and potentially better tumor control with fewer side effects. The work involves computational modeling and comparison of ID-based predictions with traditional approaches across different ion types and energies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If ID-based planning proves more accurate, patients could receive more effective treatments with reduced toxicity.
How similar studies have gone: Previous models show dose predictions can vary across different RBE models, but ID may offer improved accuracy; this is a novel approach with promising preliminary support.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Faddegon, Bruce — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Faddegon, Bruce
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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.