PhD Thesis Proposal: Peter Bertone

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"Exploring Biomaterials for Orthopaedic Oncology: The effects of radiation therapy in bone tissue engineering"

Abstract

Radiation therapy is used to kill cancer cells, but often harms nearby bone tissue, making reconstruction and treatment difficult—especially when biomaterials are implanted at the defect sites. This dissertation examines how therapeutic X-ray radiation affects chitosan–gelatin cryogels, a soft, porous scaffold designed to support bone healing. Surprisingly, our initial data show that a single high-dose treatment (1×20 Gy) sometimes preserved or even improved healing, while fractionated radiation schedules caused bone loss and poor regeneration. To understand why, this work studies how different radiation doses and timing influence cryogel properties, bone formation potential, blood vessel growth, inflammation, and DNA damage using in-vitro and in-vivo tests. It also evaluates how radiation alone—without a scaffold—changes both local healing and systemic biological responses in bone healing. By combining material testing and in-vivo tests like microCT imaging, histology, immunostaining, and gene-expression analysis, this research clarifies how cryogels perform in irradiated environments and identifies the conditions most likely to support bone regeneration after cancer treatment.

Thesis Committee

• Katherine Hixon (Chair)
• Douglas Van Citters
• Joseph Paydarfar (DHMC)
• Joel Boerckel (UPenn)

Contact

For more information, contact Thayer Registrar at thayer.registrar@dartmouth.edu.