The study marks a decisive step toward the further development of particle therapy and is based on intensive collaboration between different GSI departments and FAIR pillars and with the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in Munich (LMU), Department of Medical Physics, who contributes to the BARB (Biomedical Applications of Radioactive Ion Beams) project as Associated Partner with a team led by Professor Katia Parodi.

BARB and the recently published paper are centered on the forward-looking idea of using radioactive ion beams (RIB) for simultaneous treatment and imaging. This approach could significantly reduce what is known as range uncertainty—one of the greatest challenges in particle therapy.

Even if the idea had already been proposed almost 50 years ago at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, it has become feasible only now thanks to the intense beams that can already be produced during the FAIR Phase 0 experimental operation at GSI/FAIR. The work now presented demonstrates for the first time the feasibility and great potential of the concept under realistic conditions.