Radiotherapy is one of the most effective anti-tumor therapies, used in more than 60% of cancer patients at some point in their oncological treatment to eliminate/reduce the size of the tumor. At present, conventional radiotherapy (CONV-RT), the main approach used in clinic, presents some limitations, including the dose fractionation into several daily sessions and the risks for the...
Radiotherapy (RT) is a widely used treatment for various cancers. While it effectively targets cancerous cells, RT also damages the surrounding healthy tissue, particularly in sensitive regions like the central nervous system. This collateral damage poses significant challenges in maintaining neurological function.
Ultra-high dose-rate FLASH radiotherapy (FLASH-RT) has emerged as a promising...
Uveal melanoma is the most common primary intraocular malignancy in adults. Eye enucleation has long been the gold standard for treatment but adverse effects have shifted recommendations toward eye preservation and radiotherapy. This can also lead to complications like radiation retinopathy, retinal detachment and optic neuropathy. To overcome the limitations of conventional radiotherapy...
Second-harmonic generation (SHG) microscopy is based on a coherent non-linear scattering process that allows high-resolution deep-tissue imaging of biological structures having high hyperpolarizability and structural anisotropy. For this reason, SHG represents a powerful tool for imaging collagen and probing its hierarchical organization from molecular scale up to tissue architectural level....
Ultra-high dose-rate FLASH radiotherapy (FLASH-RT) has emerged as a promising approach in oncology, potentially enhancing the therapeutic index by minimizing normal tissue toxicity while maintaining anticancer efficacy compared to conventional radiotherapy (CONV-RT). However, the radiobiological effects on cranial radiotherapy are yet to be fully understood. This study investigates the in vivo...
Aim
We aimed to assess and compare the effects of FLASH-RT and CONV-RT on tumor growth in a melanoma model and on skin toxicity and systemic responses in healthy mice.
Methods
A melanoma model was established by injecting B16F10 cells intradermally into the left leg of mice. After five days, mice were irradiated with either 19 Gy or 35 Gy using FLASH (940 Gy/s) or CONV modes...
Cancer theragnostics is an emerging field of nuclear medicine that allows the integration of imaging and radiotherapy. It is based on the use of a pair of radiopharmaceuticals with the same molecular structure, one containing a positron-emitting isotope (such as fluorine-18 (18F) or gallium-68 (68Ga)) for PET imaging, aiding disease staging, therapy selection and monitoring. The other...
In this project we focused on the design, synthesis, and optimization of novel molecules of biomedical interest with particular relevance in the tumor microenvironment. [1] The developement of new strategies to counteract such a disease is of paramount importance. Among synthetic strategies known to date, the use of Multi-Target Directed Ligands (MTDLs) has emerged as particularly effective,...
