Low Dose Radiation Therapy and Convalescent Plasma: How a Hybrid Method May Maximize Benefits for COVID-19 Patients

Abdollahi H; Shiri I; Bevelacqua J J; Jafarzadeh A; Rahmim A; Zaidi H; Mortazavi S A R; Mortazavi S M J

doi:10.31661/jbpe.v0i0.2006-1125

Low Dose Radiation Therapy and Convalescent Plasma: How a Hybrid Method May Maximize Benefits for COVID-19 Patients

J Biomed Phys Eng. 2020 Aug 1;10(4):387-394. doi: 10.31661/jbpe.v0i0.2006-1125. eCollection 2020 Aug.

Authors

Abdollahi H¹, Shiri I², Bevelacqua J J³, Jafarzadeh A⁴, Rahmim A^{5

6}, Zaidi H^{2

7

8

9}, Mortazavi S A R¹⁰, Mortazavi S M J¹¹

Affiliations

¹ PhD, Department of Radiologic Sciences and Medical Physics, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Science, Kerman, Iran.
² PhD, Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Geneva University Hospital, CH-1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland.
³ PhD, Bevelacqua Resources, Richland, Washington, United States.
⁴ PhD, Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Science, Kerman, Iran.
⁵ PhD, Departments of Radiology and Physics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC, Canada.
⁶ PhD, Department of Integrative Oncology, BC Cancer Research Centre, Vancouver BC, Canada.
⁷ PhD, Geneva University Neurocenter, Geneva University, Geneva, Switzerland.
⁸ PhD, Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands.
⁹ PhD, Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
¹⁰ MD, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
¹¹ PhD, Department of Medical Physics, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.

Abstract

Physicians and scientists around the world are aggressively attempting to develop effective treatment strategies. The treatment goal is to reduce the fatality rate in 15% to 20% of individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2 who develop severe inflammatory conditions that can lead to pneumonia, and acute respiratory distress syndrome. These conditions are major causes of death in these patients. Convalescent plasma (CP) collected from patients recovered from the novel corona virus disease (COVID-19) has been considered as an effective treatment method for COVID-19. Moreover, low-dose radiation therapy (LDRT) for COVID-19 pneumonia was historically used to treat pneumonia during the first half of the 20^th century. The concept of LDRT for COVID-19 pneumonia was first introduced in March 2020. Later scientists from Canada, Spain, United States, Germany and France also confirmed the potential efficacy of LDRT for treatment of COVID-19 pneumonia. The rationale behind introducing LDRT as an effective treatment method for pneumonia in COVID-19 patients is not only due to its anti-inflammatory effect, but also in optimization of the activity of the immune system. Moreover, LDRT, unlike other treatment methods such as antiviral drugs, does not have the key disadvantage of exerting a significant selective pressure on the SARS-CoV-2 virus and hence does not lead to evolution of the virus through mutations. Given these considerations, we believe that a hybrid treatment including both CP and LDRT can trigger synergistic responses that will help healthcare providers in mitigating today's COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords: Anti-Inflammatory Responses; COVID-19; Convalescent Plasma; Immune System; Low Dose Radiation; Mutations; Radiotherapy; Selective Pressure.

Publication types

Review