Radiation therapy is one of the most widely used tools in cancer treatment and is designed to deliver targeted doses of radiation directly to tumors. Unfortunately, however, the effects don’t always stop there. Although the radiation is aimed at tumorous growths, some healthy cells — including lymphocytes, which are the white blood cells that play a central role in immune response — can also be exposed.
A new research collaboration between the University of Houston and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center aims to address this challenge. The project will explore how advanced mathematical optimization methods can help design radiation treatment plants that reduce unnecessary exposure linked to immune cell depletion while preserving tumor coverage and standard normal tissue protections.
At the center of this work is radiation-induced lymphopenia — a reduction in lymphocyte levels that can develop during or after treatment and has been associated with adverse patient outcomes. Led at UH by R. Larry and Gerlene (Gerri) R. Snider Endowed Chair and Professor and Chair of the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering Gino J. Lim, the project will investigate whether treatment planning algorithms can reduce unnecessary radiation exposure to circulating lymphocytes and lymphocyte-rich tissues while maintaining tumor coverage and protecting critical healthy tissue.
The research will focus specifically on intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT), which is a form of radiation therapy that uses proton beams. Proton therapy can shape dose distributions around tumors and may reduce radiation exposure to some surrounding tissues. Lim and his graduate students will develop computational methods for selecting beam configurations and optimizing dose delivery, with immune-related risk incorporated directly into the planning process.
The project includes collaboration with MD Anderson radiation physics experts Radhe Mohan, Ph.D., Professor and holder of the Larry and Pat McNeil Chair in Radiation Physics, and Wenhua Cao, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Radiation Physics. Their clinical and technical input will help ensure that the optimization models reflect treatment planning priorities, plan quality considerations and the clinical relevance of immune related risk measures.
The collaboration extends Lim’s longstanding research in radiation treatment planning, including beam angle selection, fluence map optimization and large-scale decision models for cancer care toward an emerging question in radiation oncology: can treatment planning account not only for tumor coverage and nearby organ protection, but also for potential adverse effects of therapy on the patient’s immune system?
By combining the clinical expertise of MD Anderson with the Cullen College of Engineering’s strength in optimization and decision analytics, the project aims to support a more personalized approach to radiation therapy, with the goal of developing planning methods that consider tumor control, organ protection and immune preservation within a single integrated framework.