RadPhysBio: A Radiobiological Database for the Prediction of Cell Survival upon Exposure to Ionizing Radiation

Based on the need for radiobiological databases, in this work, we mined experimental ionizing radiation data of human cells treated with X-rays, gamma-rays, carbon ions, protons and alpha-particles, by manually searching the relevant literature in PubMed from 1980 until 2024. In order to calculate normal and tumor cell survival alpha and beta coefficients of the linear quadratic (LQ) established model, as well as the initial values of the double-strand breaks (DSBs) in DNA, we used WebPlotDigitizer and Python programming language. We also produced complex DNA damage results through the fast Monte Carlo code MCDS in order to complete any missing data. The calculated alpha/beta values are in good agreement with those valued reported in the literature, where alpha shows a relatively good association with linear energy transfer (LET), but not beta. In general, a positive correlation between DSBs and LET was observed as far as the experimental values are concerned. Furthermore, we developed a biophysical prediction model by using machine learning, which showed a good performance for alpha, while it underscored LET as the most important feature for its prediction. In this study, we designed and developed the novel radiobiological 'RadPhysBio' database for the prediction of irradiated cell survival (alpha and beta coefficients of the LQ model). The incorporation of machine learning and repair models increases the applicability of our results and the spectrum of potential users.