CABIMER researchers study timing of radiotherapy to improve cancer treatment

Researchers at the Centro Andaluz de Biología Molecular y Medicina Regenerativa (CABIMER) in Seville are investigating how the time of day affects the efficacy of radiotherapy. Led by Dr. Pablo Huertas, the team is exploring the field of chronotherapy to determine if there is a specific time when tumor cells are most susceptible to irradiation.

The study is based on the discovery that human cells repair DNA differently depending on the time of day, with repairs occurring more efficiently in the morning and less effectively in the afternoon. By developing a biological marker to adapt treatments to a patient's internal clock, the researchers aim to make radiotherapy more precise and reduce its impact on healthy tissue. The first phase of this project was conducted in collaboration with the Radiotherapy Service at Hospital Virgen del Rocío.