Collaboration, Innovation and Leadership in Research
Through scientific discovery, innovation and multidisciplinary collaboration, researchers at Cincinnati Children’s are pursuing new clues about the causes of blood diseases, cancer and immune deficiency disorders and developing more effective targeted therapies.
We have been a leader in basic science and clinical research for decades. In 2009, we established the Cancer and Blood Diseases Institute to formally align our strong clinical care and research programs, enhancing collaborations and speeding the transfer of knowledge from the laboratory to patient care. Beyond the institute, our faculty members partner with researchers and clinicians in other research and clinical divisions, including developmental biology, immunology and radiology.
FLASH Radiation Therapy
The Cincinnati Children’s Proton Therapy Center has begun the world’s first clinical trial of FLASH radiation therapy for cancer. FLASH uses radiation delivered at ultra-high speeds up to 1,000 times faster than what is used clinically today. The trial will enroll 10 adult patients with metastatic bone cancer. The patients will receive FLASH therapy in a single treatment session, with less than one second of radiation exposure. Preclinical FLASH studies at Cincinnati Children’s focus on increasing tumor efficacy and reducing side effects for brain tumors, lung cancer, and cancers of the head and neck. Preliminary data from one preclinical study showed that FLASH demonstrates a double benefit compared to conventional proton treatments. In addition to killing lung cancer more efficiently, it activates an immune system response to lung cancer.
