Cancer has been beaten, but life is still not the same as before. Many people who have survived a brain tumor still struggle with memory problems, fatigue or other symptoms years after their treatment. The reason often lies in radiotherapy, which destroys the tumor but can also damage healthy brain tissue. A research team at Technische Universität Dresden (TUD) aims to change that.
Under the leadership of Professor Mechthild Krause, Director of the Department of Radiotherapy and Radiation Oncology at Carl Gustav Carus University Hospital, a nationwide research network called UncovRT has been established. The researchers aim to understand what happens in the brain after radiotherapy and how possible long-term side effects can be prevented in the future. The Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space is funding the project with more than two million euros.
One in five shows changes in the brain
Brain tumors are among the cancers for which radiotherapy is used particularly often, both in children and adults. The treatment is effective, but it can come at a price. In about one in five patients, follow-up MRI scans later reveal changes in healthy brain tissue. For some of those affected, these changes lead to noticeable symptoms and can permanently affect their daily lives.
Until now, doctors have had little knowledge of who is particularly at risk and how such damage can be prevented. This is exactly where UncovRT comes in. Researchers from Dresden, Hamburg, Heidelberg, Essen and Dortmund are building a shared database that combines clinical data, MRI scans and experimental results. The team is also collecting information from follow-up MRI scans taken months or even years after treatment.
At the same time, the researchers are conducting preclinical studies using mouse models to investigate the biological mechanisms that trigger radiation-induced brain damage. They are also testing drugs that have already been approved to see whether they could help prevent or reduce these side effects.
Patients involved in the research
A special feature of UncovRT is the close involvement of patients. An adult brain tumor survivor and the mother of an affected child are actively participating in the project. They contribute their experiences, help reflect on the research from the perspective of those affected and support the communication of results in a way that is understandable for other survivors and for the public.
“The National Decade Against Cancer provides the framework to investigate the long-term consequences of radiotherapy in a depth that has not been possible before,” says Prof. Esther Troost, Dean of the Carl Gustav Carus Faculty of Medicine at TUD. “Projects such as UncovRT allow us to uncover new scientific connections and develop ideas for therapies that better meet the needs of patients.”
In the long term, UncovRT aims to lay the groundwork for new clinical studies. The goal is to make radiotherapy so precise and gentle that patients not only survive cancer, but also maintain a good quality of life in the years that follow.
