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Review
. 2020 Jul;14(7):1569-1576.
doi: 10.1002/1878-0261.12671. Epub 2020 Apr 8.

Specific requirements for translation of biological research into clinical radiation oncology

Mechthild Krause  1   2   3   4   5   6 , Jan Alsner  7 , Annett Linge  1   2   3   4   6 , Rebecca Bütof  1   2   3   4   6 , Steffen Löck  1   2   3   4   6 , Rob Bristow  8
Affiliations
Review

Specific requirements for translation of biological research into clinical radiation oncology

Mechthild Krause et al. Mol Oncol. 2020 Jul.

Abstract

Radiotherapy has been optimized over the last decades not only through technological advances, but also through the translation of biological knowledge into clinical treatment schedules. Optimization of fractionation schedules and/or the introduction of simultaneous combined systemic treatment have significantly improved tumour cure rates in several cancer types. With modern techniques, we are currently able to measure factors of radiation resistance or radiation sensitivity in patient tumours; the definition of new biomarkers is expected to further enable personalized treatments. In this Review article, we overview important translation paths and summarize the quality requirements for preclinical and translational studies that will help to avoid bias in trial results.

Keywords: biomarkers; clinical trials; personalized treatment; quality; radiotherapy; translational research.

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Conflict of interest statement

In the past 5 years, Mechthild Krause received funding for her research projects by IBA (2016), Merck KGaA (2014–2018 for preclinical study; 2018–2020 for clinical study) and Medipan GmbH (2014–2018). She is involved in an ongoing publicly funded (German Federal Ministry of Education and Research) project with the companies Medipan, Attomol GmbH, GA Generic Assays GmbH, Gesellschaft für medizinische und wissenschaftliche genetische Analysen, Lipotype GmbH and PolyAn GmbH (2019–2021). For the present manuscript, Dr. Krause confirms that none of the above‐mentioned funding sources were involved. Annett Linge is involved in an ongoing publicly funded (German Federal Ministry of Education and Research) project with the companies Medipan, Attomol GmbH, GA Generic Assays GmbH, Gesellschaft für medizinische und wissenschaftliche genetische Analysen, Lipotype GmbH and PolyAn GmbH (2019–2021). For the present manuscript, Dr. Linge confirms that this above‐mentioned funding source was not involved. Jan Alsner is listed as co‐inventor on a patent for a method of determining clinically relevant hypoxia in cancer (WO/2012/146259) owned by Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark. The other authors confirm no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Integration of radiobiological knowledge to counteract radiotherapy resistance, showing how chance of tumour control 5 years after treatment has improved through sequential randomized clinical trials by the DAHANCA on patients with HNSCC (stage 3–4 laryngeal and pharyngeal cancer) (Baumann et al., 2016).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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