Longitudinal multimodal characterization of radiation dermatitis in a C57BL/6J mouse model

Radiation dermatitis (RD) is a common adverse reaction to radiation therapy (RT), affecting up to 95% of cancer patients. Despite its prevalence, RD’s pathophysiology is complex and remains poorly understood. Without a better molecular understanding of this condition, targeted treatments are difficult to develop and integrate into clinical practice. Prior animal model studies of RD are scarce, variable in methodology, and limited to outcomes such as clinical grading and histology. To address this gap, we aimed to develop a temporal murine model of RD using clinical grading, objective skin parameters, histopathology, and gene expression analysis of inflammatory markers. RNA-seq profiling of skin biopsies taken from C57BL/6J mice radiated with 25 Gy to the skin of the left flank. Ten-week-old female mice (n=19) were randomly divided into five groups: sham (no RT), and four post-RT groups with weekly data collection for four weeks.