Award year: 2024
Category: Other Award
Awarding organization: European Radiation Research Society
Research in translational radiation and immunobiology. Although radiobiology and immunology were scientifically linked decades ago, researchers long assumed that radiation has a damaging effect on the immune system and has no immunological relevance for therapy, for example in radiotherapy for tumours. Prof. Gaipl and his team are investigating the immunological mechanisms of ionising radiation at the Erlangen Radiotherapy Clinic, which he founded in 2007. The researchers' findings showed how these processes can be used for the treatment of benign inflammatory-degenerative and tumour diseases. Today, combinations of radiotherapy and immunotherapy are already being used very successfully for some types of tumours. The radiation dose used to treat benign diseases has also been reduced and optimised thanks to the research results of Prof. Gaipl. In addition to these significant scientific contributions to improved therapeutic approaches, research in translational radiation biology also provides valuable insights for radiation protection.