Fractionated proton and photon FLASH irradiation mitigates radiation-induced lymphopenia through kinetic sparing of circulating lymphocytes
Cezara Cheptea, Pierre Loap, Andrew Friberg, Kathryn H. Brown, Ioannis Paraskevaidis, Kristianna Kolker, Michele Kim, Mihaela Ghita, Mark P McDowell, Shiva Shahrampour, Bonnie Ky, Kevin Soon Hwee Teo, James Metz, Constantinos Koumenis, Jufri Setianegara, , Ioannis I. Verginadis
This study shows FLASH irradiation reduces radiation-induced lymphopenia in mice by sparing circulating lymphocytes, with durable CD8 T cell preservation across proton and photon modalities.
bioRxiv · Aug 20, 2026 · PreprintCell Biology