The Proton Therapy Facility Dresden (UPT)

Dresden hosts a unique translational proton research infrastructure at the University Proton Therapy Dresden/OncoRay, integrating experimental research with clinical proton therapy. The clinical gantry has been open for patient studies since December 2014 and provides the basis for close interaction between clinical application and research. An experimental room directly adjacent to the patient treatment room enables biological investigations from cell culture to animal models using the clinical proton beam between patient treatments. Both double-scattering and pencil-beam scanning nozzles are available.

The platform supports technological developments, as well as radiobiological studies. Since 2015, translational studies have focused on relative biological effectiveness and combined treatment strategies. These studies are conducted in comparison with clinical photon beams, ion beams from partner sites such as Heidelberg, and innovative laser-driven beams developed at HZDR. A distinctive feature is the co-location of the proton beamline with an animal facility equipped with advanced small animal imaging technologies (MRI, PET, optical imaging, cone-beam CT, and image-guided X-ray). This setup enables precise sub-volume irradiation in mouse brains to study radiation-induced brain injury and represents the first reproducible small-animal system for region-specific late brain toxicity. 

Embedded in the DKTK, the Dresden facility closely collaborates with the particle therapy centers in Heidelberg and Essen and is integrated into broader European research networks, serving as a reference infrastructure for translational proton research.

More information on:
Proton Therapy Facility Dresden

Experimental area for proton research