The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued a patent on an innovation that could improve results of proton beam therapy during cancer treatments.

Although radiation is harmful to all tissues, malignant or healthy, most cancer cells lack control over DNA repair mechanisms. A challenge to radiotherapy in treating cancer is minimizing damage to normal cells while delivering a sufficient dose to kill tumor cells. No therapy is both totally effective and without risk. The Indiana University innovation comprises a system and a method to reduce biological damage caused by the application of proton beam therapy.

The innovation was disclosed to the IU Innovation and Commercialization Office. The mission of the office is to drive innovation to the market for the benefit of the public, the university and innovators for state, national and global commerce. IU personnel can disclose an invention online.