ReviewMaterials today. Bio2026
Harnessing the sparing effect of FLASH-RT: From phenomenon observation, radiophysical determinants to molecular mechanisms and synergistic strategies.
Review in Materials today. Bio, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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.
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.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
10 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
FLASH radiotherapy (FLASH-RT) represents an innovative paradigm shift in radiation oncology. It is distinguished from conventional radiotherapy (CONV-RT) by the ultra-high dose rate (>40 Gy/s) radiation delivery to tumours within sub-millisecond bursts. Increasing preclinical studies have shown that FLASH-RT markedly reduces normal tissue toxicity without compromising antitumor efficacy, termed the "FLASH effect". Despite its potential, clinical implementation remains constrained by several challenges, including the incomplete understanding of its underlying biological mechanisms, the optimization of physical parameters, and ongoing technological hurdles. In this review, we systematically reviewed and synthesized the preclinical evidence across multiple organ systems, delineating the complex interplay of physical parameters that govern biological outcomes of FLASH-RT. Moving beyond phenomenological observations, this review provides a rigorous synthesis of mechanism ranging from initial physicochemical to biological processes, including transient oxygen depletion, radical recombination, differential DNA damage response, and mitochondrial reprogramming. A central focus is placed on the potent immunomodulatory role of FLASH-RT, highlighting its ability to preserve systemic immune competence and reshape the tumor immune microenvironment. These unique advantages have facilitated the initiation of FLASH-related clinical trials and position FLASH-RT as an exceptionally promising partner for next-generation immunotherapy, spatially fractionated approaches, and nanomedicine-based radio-sensitization research. While promising, mature clinical translation faces challenges. By synthesizing the interplay between ultra-high dose rate physics and molecular radiobiology, this review provides an integrated framework designed to translate fundamental FLASH effects into predictable and optimized therapeutic strategies for the next generation of precision cancer treatment.
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Registered trials
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.