Preclinical Studies to Optimize the Use of Radiotherapy for Heart Failure
We are conducting research to optimize the use of radiation therapy (RT) to treat heart failure (HF), a serious condition that affects millions of people and has a high risk of death. In prior research, our team made the promising discovery that a single low-dose radiation treatment to the heart may improve heart function in HF. Our research challenges the long-held belief that RT exposure to the heart is always harmful. We are currently using preclinical models to find the best radiation dose and schedule to improve heart function in heart failure; studying whether FLASH RT, a novel treatment that delivers radiation ultra-fast, can provide the same benefits to the heart while lowering the risk of damage; and identifying biomarkers to predict which patients with heart failure are mostly likely to experience the best outcomes from RT.
