Review article
The 6th R of radiobiology: reactivation of anti-tumor immune response
Boustani J, Grapin M, Laurent PA, Apetoh L, Mirjolet C
DoseLab summary
Open-access review. It defines the "five Rs" — repair, re-assortment, repopulation, reoxygenation and radiosensitivity — as the most important biological factors influencing tumor and normal-tissue response to fractionated treatment, and proposes a sixth R, reactivation of the anti-tumor immune response by radiotherapy, discussing how dose and fractionation may affect it. Full text read in Europe PMC (PMC6627091).
Why this is useful
A one-line definition of each of the five Rs, plus the case for a sixth: reactivation of the immune system by radiation.
Reference details
- Title
- The 6th R of radiobiology: reactivation of anti-tumor immune response
- Authors / organization
- Boustani J, Grapin M, Laurent PA, Apetoh L, Mirjolet C
- Publication / protocol
- Cancers (Basel). 2019;11(6):860
- Version
- Pending verification
- Year
- 2019
- DOI
- 10.3390/cancers11060860
- Disease sites
- Pending verification
- Topics
- Radiobiology, 4 Rs, Immunotherapy
- Fractionation context
- Pending verification
- Last reviewed by DoseLab
- 2026-10-07