Techniques of Calculating Radiation Dose to Circulating Blood Cells Including Lymphocytes

Method to Calculate Radiation Dose to Circulating Blood

JHU REF: 12610

Invention Novelty: This technology is a method for calculating radiation dose received by circulating blood during external beam radiotherapy.
 
Value Proposition:
Severe treatment-related lymphopenia (TRL) occurs in 40% of glioblastoma patients despite minimal radiation (RT) doses to bone marrow or nodal sites. In glioblastoma, TRL is associated with decreased survival and is thought to be the result of an overdose of radiation to the circulating blood. Calculating radiation dose to circulating blood is challenging and is affected by many parameters, including target volume size, radiation treatment technique, dose rate, total dose, fraction size, treatment time, the speed of circulating blood, and the presence or absence of major vasculature in or near the radiation field.  Presently, although circulating blood cells are an organ at risk for toxicity due to radiation therapy, there are no commercially available systems to calculate the dose to circulating blood. The inventors have developed a model for calculating the radiation dose to circulating blood. Advantages of the technology include:
 

• Reduced TRL and increased survival in radiotherapy treated patients
• Optimization of radiotherapeutic dose

 
Technical Details
Johns Hopkins researchers have developed a mathematical model that in its first iteration incorporated total radiation dose, fraction size, target volume size, radiation treatment technique, and dose rate as discontinuous variables.  The initial model was fairly rudimentary but had identified target volume size and number of radiation fractions as key predictors of dose to circulating blood.  Further refinement of the model is needed to generate a commercially viable or patentable product. 
 
Looking for Partners: To develop & commercialize the technology as an add-on to existing treatment planning software to calculate radiation dose to circulating blood.
 
Stage of Development: [Pre-Clinical]
 
Data Availability: Under CDA/NDA
 
Patent Status: Pending
 
Publication(s)/Associated Cases: Yovino S, Kleinberg L, Grossman SA, Narayanan M, Ford E. The etiology of
treatment-related lymphopenia in patients with malignant gliomas: modeling radiation dose to circulating lymphocytes explains clinical observations and suggests methods of modifying the impact of radiation on immune cells. Cancer
Invest. 2013 Feb;31(2):140-4.
 

Category(s):