Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41310797›Full record

ArticleRadiation oncology (London, England)2025

Exploring the mechanisms of protective effect of high-energy X-ray FLASH radiotherapy on intestine through multi omics analysis.

Huan Du, Binwei Lin, Yihan Zhu, Xiaofei Hao, Mingming Tang, Wei Wu, Decai Wang, Yiwei Yang, Yuwen Liang, Wenqiang Tang and 4 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Radiation oncology (London, England), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Huan DuSchool of Medicine, Mianyang Central Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Mianyang, 621000, China.
Binwei LinSchool of Medicine, Mianyang Central Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Mianyang, 621000, China.
Yihan ZhuSchool of Medicine, Mianyang Central Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Mianyang, 621000, China.
Xiaofei HaoSchool of Medicine, Mianyang Central Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Mianyang, 621000, China.
Mingming TangClinical Medical School, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, 637000, P.R. China.
Wei WuSouthwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, 621010, P.R. China.
Decai WangSchool of Medicine, Mianyang Central Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Mianyang, 621000, China.
Yiwei YangInstitute of Applied Electronics, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang, 621900, China.
Yuwen LiangClinical Medical School, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, 637000, P.R. China.
Wenqiang TangClinical Medical School, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, 637000, P.R. China.
Haonan XuClinical Medical School, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, 637000, P.R. China.
Jie LiSchool of Medicine, Mianyang Central Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Mianyang, 621000, China.
Feng GaoSchool of Medicine, Mianyang Central Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Mianyang, 621000, China.
Xiaobo DuSchool of Medicine, Mianyang Central Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Mianyang, 621000, China. duxiaobo2005@126.com.

Funding

Mianyang Municipal Finance Bureau miancaijian2022-186Minyang Science and Technology Program 2023ZYDF073Projects of National Natural Science Foundation U2330122Sichuan Science and Technology Program 2025ZNSFSC0555
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe aim of this study is to investigate the potential mechanisms underlying the protective effects of high-energy X-ray FLASH radiotherapy (FLASH-RT) on intestine through multi-omics analysis.

methodsThis study utilized syngeneic colon carcinoma mouse models of CT26 and MC38 to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of FLASH-RT versus conventional dose rate radiotherapy (CONV-RT) by monitoring survival, tumor size, and body weight. Furthermore, healthy C57BL/6 female mice received whole-abdominal irradiation with either FLASH-RT, CONV-RT, or sham irradiation to compare differences in normal tissue protection. 72 h post-irradiation, intestinal contents from mice were collected for metagenomic analysis, and intestinal tissue was harvested for non-targeted metabolic and single-cell sequencing analyses.

resultsIn CT26 and MC38 models, both CONV-RT and FLASH-RT have demonstrated similar anti-tumor efficacy. Compared with CONV-RT, whole-abdominal FLASH-RT significantly alleviated acute intestinal injury in mice, as evidenced by better preservation of crypt numbers and villus architecture in the FLASH group. Metagenomic analysis revealed that the relative abundance of the gut-protective bacterium Ligilactobacillus ruminis was significantly higher in the FLASH group than in the CONVgroup. Non-targeted metabolomic profiling identified 34 differential metabolites, of which 29 were upregulated and 5 were downregulated in the FLASH group. Notably, the abundance of 2-hydroxyglutarate, a metabolite associated with the butyrate metabolism pathway, was significantly elevated in the FLASH group compared with the CONV group (p < 0.05). Single-cell sequencing data revealed notable differences in cell distribution and proportions between the groups, with a higher proportion of fibroblasts, proliferative cells, macrophages, and CD4 + T cells in the FLASH group compared to the CONV and control groups. Immunofluorescence analysis revealed a significantly greater number of Lgr5⁺ intestinal stem cells in the FLASH group compared to the CONV group. Conversely, immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated stronger p50/p65 staining intensity in the CONV group relative to the FLASH group.

conclusionsThis study confirms that FLASH-RT, compared to CONV-RT, maintains equivalent antitumor efficacy while mitigating damage to normal intestinal tissues. Moreover, it preliminarily reveals that the protective mechanism of FLASH-RT is multifaceted, involving remodeling of the microbiota-metabolite axis, attenuation of inflammatory responses, and enhanced preservation of stem cells.

Indexed as

Colonic NeoplasmsIntestinesAnimalsFemaleGastrointestinal MicrobiomeMetabolomicsMiceMice, Inbred C57BLMultiomicsX-RaysFLASH effectIntestineMetagenomicsSingle-cell seqUntargeted metabolicX-ray FLASH

Identifiers

PMID41310797
PMCPMC12659162

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.