Advances in noninvasive imaging for detecting radiation-induced lung injury (RILI). Int J Radiat Biol 2025 Jul 15:1-13
Date
07/15/2025Pubmed ID
40663440Pubmed Central ID
PMC12344586DOI
10.1080/09553002.2025.2531903Scopus ID
2-s2.0-105010955919 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 3 CitationsAbstract
Purpose: Dr. Richard Hill performed pioneering work in the field of radiation-induced normal tissue injury to the lung including noninvasive imaging studies aimed at identifying imaging biomarkers of radiation-induced lung injury (RILI). RILI is a life-threatening toxicity of radiation exposure relevant to both cancer patients undergoing thoracic radiation therapy (RT) and victims of accidental radiation exposure. The ability to detect RILI noninvasively has the potential to guide treatment planning for RT and, in the case of victims of acute radiation exposures, inform the decision to start mitigative therapies. As part of this special issue of IJRB honoring Dr. Hill's many contributions to the field of radiation biology, this article reviews current advances in noninvasive imaging of RILI including computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance (MR), hyperpolarized MR, nuclear medicine (PET and SPECT), and optical imaging with near-infrared (NIR) probes. Conclusion: The imaging modalities reviewed have potential to not only provide early identification of RILI but may also provide mechanistic insights into the progression of RILI via noninvasive detection of characteristic RILI mechanisms including: inflammation, vascular damage, cell death, oxidative stress, and fibrosis.
Author List
Nissen A, Audi SH, Clough AV, Fish B, Joshi A, Medhora M, Sidabras JW, Himburg HAAuthors
Said Audi PhD Professor in the Biomedical Engineering department at Marquette UniversityHeather A. Himburg PhD Professor in the Radiation Oncology department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Amit Joshi PhD Professor in the Biomedical Engineering department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Meetha Medhora Professor in the Radiation Oncology department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Jason W. Sidabras PhD, MS Assistant Professor in the Biophysics department at Medical College of Wisconsin
