Research on radiotherapy for brain tumors: Discovery could improve prevention of radiation damage
14.04.2025 |
In a pioneering study, an international research team has uncovered a previously poorly understood mechanism of brain toxicity after radiotherapy for brain tumors. This can better explain the radiographic changes in patients treated for a brain tumor with charged particles or photons. This mechanistic discovery could open up new ways of treating and preventing radiation damage, which until now has often limited the effectiveness of radiotherapy. The Biophysics Department of the GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung in Darmstadt played a leading role in the study.
Using cerebral organoids (mini-brains), the researchers were able to show that the lesions observed in brain MRI scans after radiotherapy are not due to the death of brain cells (brain necrosis), as generally stated. Rather, they are caused by abnormal generation of choroid plexus-like cells lining liquid-filled cavities. The choroid plexus (CP) is responsible for the production of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and is for example involved in detoxification processes of the brain. Therefore, the observed cavities indicate excessive liquor production. The researchers have now published their findings in the Nature partner journal “Communications Biology”. The results could help to better understand and prevent the side effects of radiotherapy.
The work was funded by the US National Institute of Health (NIH) and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and was performed by the GSI Biophysics Department led by Professor Marco Durante in collaboration with the MD Anderson Cancer Center of the University of Texas and the University of Heidelberg. Another important partner of the study was the Heidelberg Ion Beam Therapy Center (HIT).
Radiotherapy is an important treatment for brain tumors, but the efficacy of the treatment is limited by its toxicity to normal tissue, including tissue damage (lesions) after radiation. These lesions occur in up to 25 percent of patients treated with radiotherapy. The understanding of this damage and its causes has so far been poor, making it difficult to develop countermeasures. This is where the current research work comes in as it may provide additional strategies for possible countermeasures.
Professor Marco Durante, Head of GSI Biophysics summarized: “This discovery changes our understanding of radiation damage in the brain. It could play a key role in the fight against radiation toxicity. If we understand the mechanisms more precisely, we can also open up new perspectives for better treatment of brain tumors.” The aim of the research is to develop therapeutic approaches that minimize the harmful side effects of radiotherapy on the brain without compromising the effectiveness of tumor treatment. The researchers emphasize that further studies and clinical trials will be needed to test the potential implementations of this discovery and develop therapeutic solutions that will benefit patients. (BP)
Organiods
The scientists are using cerebral organoids, which are grown in vitro (“in glass”, outside the body) with the help of human stem cells, to study the effects of radiation therapy on the brain. These organoids are not fully formed organs, but are similar in structure and function to the human brain and therefore enable a more precise investigation of the tissue's reaction to radiation. Scientists hope that this will lead to substantial progress in research and therapy, not least for neurological diseases.
More information
Publication in „Communications Biology“
