# Genetic Modifiers of Radiation Therapy-Induced Cardiotoxicity

> **NIH NIH R01** · WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $492,734

## Abstract

Radiation therapy is an important treatment received by over 50% of cancer patients. Exposure to
radiation during the treatment of breast and lung cancers frequently causes collateral damage to
cardiac tissue (i.e., cardiotoxicity), which can limit the utility of radiation and overall long-term benefits
of this therapeutic option. In patients who receive cardiac radiation, progressive heart disease, heart
failure, and death can occur. Mounting evidence suggests that complex genetic modifiers contribute
to the risk of radiation-induced toxicities in cancer patients, yet these genetic modifiers remain largely
unknown and poorly understood. No genetic variants are currently used to guide radiation dose
constraints to the heart, and no therapies currently exist to protect against radiation-induced
cardiotoxicity. We have developed the first genetic model to identify heritable modifiers of radiation-
induced cardiotoxicity, using a rat model with gene substitutions (consomic rats) to identify regions of
the genome responsible for differences in cardiac radiation sensitivity between two rat strains. Our
preliminary results indicate that it may be possible to identify individuals at higher risk for radiation-
induced heart disease based upon the presence of an inheritable 25 Mb region of rat chromosome 3
(0.9% of the genome) that contains genetic variants that enhance radiation-induced cardiotoxicity.
This model demonstrates that (A) mitochondrial-related gene pathways are highly differentially
expressed in the sensitive versus resistant rats one week after localized cardiac radiation, (B)
hypertrophy and decreased contractility is detected at 12 weeks after radiation in the more sensitive
rats, and (C) by 20 weeks after radiation, large areas of myocardial necrosis are present in the more
sensitive rats. Our model provides a framework to define important phenotypic changes that stem
from genetic variants to enhance radiotoxicity from cardiac radiation. We hypothesize that genetic
modifier(s) of radiation-induced cardiotoxicity reside within the 25 Mb candidate region that we have
localized to rat chromosome 3. We further hypothesize that the genetic modifier(s) within the
candidate region are mechanistically linked to cardiomyocyte mitochondrial dysfunction that leads to
cardiotoxicity in the sensitive rats after radiation. To test these hypotheses, we will (1) Use genetic
mapping to identify genetic variant(s) that enhance radiation-induced cardiotoxicity in the 25 Mb
region of rat chromosome 3; (2) Identify the pathophysiological and genetic mechanism(s) underlying
radiation-induced cardiotoxicity findings of altered mitochondrial gene expression, cardiac
hypertrophy and decreased contractility, and increased cardiac necrosis associated with the 25 Mb
region of rat chromosome 3; and (3) Test the efficacy of novel mitochondrial-targeted agents to
prevent or mitigate radiation-induced cardiotoxicity.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10169504
- **Project number:** 5R01HL147884-04
- **Recipient organization:** WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Carmen Bergom
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $492,734
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-06-01 → 2024-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10169504

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10169504, Genetic Modifiers of Radiation Therapy-Induced Cardiotoxicity (5R01HL147884-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10169504. Licensed CC0.

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