1. Flying rats and microbeam paths crossing: the beauty of international interdisciplinary science.
- Author
-
Schültke E
- Subjects
- Animals, Dose Fractionation, Radiation, Female, Humans, Male, Rats, Synchrotrons, Beauty, Neoplasms radiotherapy
- Abstract
Purpose: Microbeam radiotherapy (MRT) is a still experimental radiotherapy approach. Two combined parameters contribute to an excellent normal tissue protection and an improved control of malignant tumors in small animal models, compared to conventional radiotherapy: dose deposition at a high dose rate and spatial fractionation at the micrometre level. The international microbeam research community expects to see clinical MRT trials within the next ten years.Physics-associated research is still widely regarded as a male domain. Thus, the question was asked whether this is reflected in the scientific contributions to the field of microbeam radiotherapy., Method: A literature search was conducted using Pubmed, Semantic Scholar and other sources to look specifically for female contributors to the field of microbeam radiotherapy development., Conclusion: The original idea for MRT was patented in 1994 by an all-male research team. In approximately 50% of all publications related to microbeam radiotherapy, however, either the first or the senior author is a woman. The contribution of those women who have been driving the development of both technical and biomedical aspects of MRT in the last two decades is highlighted.
- Published
- 2022
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