Radiobiologist Pavel Bláha is engaged in research that bridges several scientific disciplines—chemistry, biology, nuclear physics, accelerator physics, and laser physics. Thanks to the MERIT program, he works at the ELI Beamlines ERIC research center in Dolní Břežany. What benefits might his projects bring to cancer treatment? You’ll find out in our interview.
Your research is multidisciplinary—it focuses on the biological effects of laser-accelerated protons and on enhancing their effectiveness in radiation therapy. Do you find the broad scope of your research appealing?
It is precisely the multidisciplinary nature, combined with the opportunity to acquire new information and discover further perspectives, that excites and fascinates me about research. This interest was evident even in my academic career, which began with studying nuclear chemistry at the Faculty of Nuclear and Physical Engineering at ČVUT. During my doctoral studies, I further focused on radiobiology and complemented this foundation with accelerator physics.
Are the conditions of the MERIT program tailored to accommodate the broad scope of your research?
In this respect, the program meets my needs, particularly due to the flexible management of the allocated funds. Within MERIT, these funds can be used not only for basic research needs, work trips, conferences, or workshops, but also for further education. Thanks to this, I can, for example, pay for a course focused on electron microscopy and other specialized trainings. This flexibility in fund usage greatly contributes to the efficiency of my work.
What attracted you to the program so much that, after gaining extensive experience abroad, you returned to the Czech Republic?
I was drawn to the MERIT program not only because of its benefits but especially because of its repatriation character. In addition to foreign scientists, it focuses on creating high-quality conditions for Czech researchers who have gained experience abroad. I began following the program during my time at the National Institute for Nuclear Physics (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare – INFN). In Naples, I worked on increasing the effectiveness of proton therapy through proton capture on boron (PBCT – Proton Boron Capture Therapy). Incidentally, I am continuing this work in my current research.
My former supervisor informed me about ongoing projects at the ELI Beamlines laser center. When I later applied, the circumstances aligned so favorably that one of the options was indeed this facility in Dolní Břežany.
I would compare the MERIT program in terms of its focus, quality, and evaluation to the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Postdoctoral Fellowship. It is, therefore, a high-level program.
The project you led at the National Institute for Nuclear Physics was named BAFOMET. How did this name come about?
The name stems not only from my fondness for metal but is also an acronym that describes my research (note: BAFOMET: proton Boron cApture and FLASH apprOach coMbination to Enhance protonTherapy efficiency). This term has carried various symbolisms throughout history—I focus on its positive aspect as a “symbol of balance and enlightenment.”
How do you see your future in this context?
If possible, after my participation in the MERIT program concludes, I would like to engage in activities associated with this very scientific facility. This could lead to the formation of a scientific subgroup, depending on the employment structure at ELI Beamlines.
Are foreign institutions also involved in your research as part of the MERIT program?
Yes. In addition to working at the host institution, MERIT requires participation in activities at a foreign institution through a so-called secondment. This approach supports cross-sector collaboration and knowledge transfer.
In our case, we collaborate with Queen’s University Belfast in Northern Ireland, which is among the pioneers in the field of laser-accelerated protons. In the near future, we plan to publish a study focusing on the initial results obtained at ELI Beamlines and on comparing specific aspects of our research with theirs.
One part of your research focuses on laser-driven proton accelerators (laser-driven proton systems). What advantages do you see in these systems compared to conventional radiotherapy?
This method involves accelerating protons with a laser. Compared to a traditional proton accelerator—a cyclotron—we can currently irradiate the targeted area in many individual short pulses. If the effectiveness of the method is confirmed, it could serve as an alternative to standard proton therapy. Such laser accelerators have the potential to be more compact and theoretically less expensive, which would be advantageous when opening new departments in hospitals.
What are the advantages of rapid delivery of protons to the affected area?
A hot topic in radiobiology in this context is the so-called FLASH effect, for which one of the main parameters is a high dose rate. In this case, the dose is delivered extremely quickly, and in in vivo experiments, it appears that cancer treatment yields the same results as conventional irradiation. However, the side effects on healthy tissue are significantly minimized.
This represents a significant advantage, for example, in the treatment of brain tumors. Such a method has the potential to preserve a patient’s cognitive abilities better than conventional irradiation. Although the parameters of our proton beam are still far from being able to produce the FLASH effect, achieving this is our goal for the future.
As part of the MERIT program, you are also working on a new cancer treatment method called Proton Boron Capture Therapy (PBCT). How does this technique increase the effectiveness of proton therapy?
This experimental method is based on a principle similar to the better-known Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT). Proton therapy employs substances containing boron (specifically the isotope 11B). When irradiated, boron reacts with a proton to produce three alpha particles. These high-energy particles have a very short range (20–30 µm) and thus release all their energy directly in the cancer cell, significantly damaging it. Therefore, if boron is present around cancer cells, the chance of killing them is increased due to this reaction. Consequently, it might be possible to use lower doses during irradiation, thereby reducing the risk of damage to surrounding structures.
A disadvantage of the BNCT method is the complicated availability of neutrons and the difficulty in directing neutrons solely into the tumor. In contrast, proton therapy has the advantage that protons can be focused to stop directly at the affected site, where they deliver the maximum of their energy (the so-called Bragg peak), thereby sparing healthy tissue beyond the tumor.
At what stage of research are you currently?
It should be noted that these prospects represent the final application. Currently, we are conducting basic research. We are at a stage where we are monitoring the differential effects at the cellular level under various conditions. Subsequently, there is the possibility of moving on to work with tissues and eventually to in vivo experiments. It is a long journey.
Does your research have the potential to make cancer treatment more accessible?
This method should definitely have a positive impact on the accessibility of healthcare in the future. The Czech Republic has one proton center located in Prague, and another—Krakowskie Centrum Protonoterapii—is located in Poland. If I am not mistaken, there is nothing else available to the east. Currently, the capacities at the Proton Center in Prague are essentially fully occupied, which highlights both technical and staffing limitations.
Does your research extend into other fields beyond healthcare?
My research primarily focuses on cancer treatment, but the discipline of radiobiology also extends into other areas, such as radiation protection in space. It is in and around Earth that protons are key particles affecting the human body. In this context, I would like to mention an interesting project called Space Chicken by colleagues from the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, whose first irradiation will soon be carried out here at ELI Beamlines. This project deals with reproduction in space under constant radiation, which is important not only for humans but also for animals in the eventual colonization of space. The research specifically focuses on the irradiation of fertilized eggs and examines how protons affect them.
