(left)
Sean Polster, MD
Faculty Sponsor
(right)
Roberto Alcazar Felix, MD
Postdoctoral Fellow
Department of Neurological Surgery
In Collaboration With the Departments of Neurology, Pathology,
Radiology, Surgery and Radiation and Cellular Oncology ,
and the Center for Research Informatics
The Influence of the Gut Microbiome on Cerebral Radiation Necrosis
More than 500,000 people receive radiation therapy to the brain in the United States each year, from which 10-20% develop cerebral radiation necrosis with serious clinical sequelae. The gut microbiome has been suggested as a potential factor in the development of cerebral radiation necrosis. Using a murine model of radiation damage, we propose to study the effect of the microbiome on cerebral radiation necrosis and its cellular signaling mechanisms in order to elucidate novel therapeutic targets, mitigation strategies, and biomarker candidates.