RAD-ADAPT: Software for modelling clonogenic assay data in radiation biology.

Area of Science:

• Radiation Biology
• Quantitative Biology
• Bioinformatics

Background:

• Clonogenic assays are crucial for assessing cell survival after radiation exposure.
• Quantitative analysis of clonogenic assay data requires robust statistical models.
• Existing methods may lack comprehensive features for parameter estimation and comparison.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce RAD-ADAPT, a novel software for quantitative analysis of clonogenic assays.
• To provide an integrated platform for applying linear-quadratic and single-hit multi-target models.
• To facilitate statistical comparison of radiation response parameters between experimental groups.

Main Methods:

• Utilizes maximum likelihood estimation assuming Poisson distribution for cell colony counts.
• Incorporates the linear-quadratic and single-hit multi-target models.
• Built using R for the interface and ADAPT for underlying computations.

Main Results:

• RAD-ADAPT offers an intuitive interface for data analysis.
• The software generates model prediction plots and tabulates parameter estimates.
• Demonstrated utility in analyzing the effects of kinase inhibitors on lung cancer cells post-irradiation.

Conclusions:

• RAD-ADAPT provides a comprehensive and user-friendly tool for clonogenic assay analysis.
• The software enhances the quantitative assessment of radiation effects on cell survival.
• Enables robust statistical comparisons for a deeper understanding of radiation biology.