Making radiation treatment safer by protecting healthy organs while targeting tumors
Molecular Strategies to Widen the Therapeutic Index of Radiotherapy
This program develops ways to shield normal tissues from radiation damage while helping radiation kill cancer cells, including a small clinical trial of d-limonene to prevent dry mouth after head and neck radiation.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Stanford University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Stanford, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11178440 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be hearing about teams that combine tumor genetics and normal tissue biology to let doctors give radiation more safely. One team is blocking a molecule called C5aR1 to make abdominal tumors more sensitive while protecting gut tissues. Another team is testing d-limonene, a compound that may activate ALDH3A1, in a phase I trial to prevent severe dry mouth after head and neck radiation. A third effort aims to personalize radiosensitizers for certain lung cancers with KEAP1/NFE2L2 mutations.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People getting radiation for abdominal cancers, those receiving head and neck radiation at risk of dry mouth, and patients with KEAP1/NFE2L2-mutant non-small cell lung cancer are the most likely candidates for related trials.
Not a fit: Patients not receiving radiation, those whose tumors lack the specific genetic targets, or those unable to join clinical trials are unlikely to see direct benefit from this program right now.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, these approaches could cut common radiation side effects (for example severe dry mouth), better protect organs like the gut, and allow stronger, more effective radiation doses to tumors.
How similar studies have performed: Radioprotectors and radiosensitizers have shown promise in laboratory and early clinical work, but the specific strategies here—such as d-limonene for dry mouth and C5aR1 inhibition—are relatively new and at an early testing stage.
Where this research is happening
Stanford, United States
- Stanford University — Stanford, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Le, Quynh-Thu Xuan — Stanford University
- Study coordinator: Le, Quynh-Thu Xuan
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 below.