Keith A. Cengel
Keith A. Cengel, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor of Radiation Oncology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
Department: Radiation Oncology
Contact information
Smilow Center for Translational Research, Room 8-136
Univ of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine
3400 Civic Center Blvd, Bldg 421
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Univ of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine
3400 Civic Center Blvd, Bldg 421
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Office: 215-898-1035
Fax: 215-349-5445
Lab: 215-898-0838
Fax: 215-349-5445
Lab: 215-898-0838
Publications
Education:
BS (Biology)
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1991.
BS (Biochemistry)
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1991.
MS (Cellular/Molecular Biology)
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1993.
PhD (Cellular/Molecular Biology)
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1998.
MD (Medical)
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2001.
Permanent linkBS (Biology)
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1991.
BS (Biochemistry)
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1991.
MS (Cellular/Molecular Biology)
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1993.
PhD (Cellular/Molecular Biology)
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1998.
MD (Medical)
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2001.
Description of Research Expertise
RESEARCH INTERESTS:1. Defining Mechanisms and Reducing Toxicity from Normal Tissue Damage Caused by Ionizing Radiation: These projects center on modeling the physical patterns of dose deposition by x-rays, gamma rays and charged particles and determining the mechanism(s) that lead to normal tissue toxicity. From a greater understanding of these mechanisms, these projects seek to identify and formulate potential radiation protectors and mitigators for use in human medicine.
2. Cellular Signaling and PDT cytotoxicity: This project is focused on defining the molecular mechanism by which PDT-initiated growth factor and anti-oxidant signaling leads to decreased PDT-mediated cytotoxicity in human cancer cells and tumors.
3. Clinical trials of RT and PDT: These projects involve using insights gained from pre-clinical studies to design early phase interventional trials for patients with cancers that are difficult to treat using current standard modalities.
Description of Clinical Expertise
Photodynamic TherapyRadiation therapy for neuroendocrine and thoracic tumors
Selected Publications
Jenna Rocchetti 1, Nikhil Yegya-Raman 1, Michelle Iocolano 1, William P Levin 1, Keith A Cengel 1, Jeffrey Bradley 1, Steven J Feigenberg 1, Cole Friedes 2: Salvage thoracic reirradiation for recurrent non-small cell lung cancer: Clinical efficacy and the impact of consolidative immunotherapy. Radiother Oncol July 2025.Seyyedeh Azar Oliaei Motlagh 1, François Vander Stappen 2, Michele M Kim 1, Rudi Labarbe 2, Lucian Hotoiu 2, Arnaud Pin 2, Rasmus Nilsson 3, Erik Traneus 3, Keith A Cengel 1, Wei Zou 1, Boon-Keng Kevin Teo 1, Lei Dong 1, Eric S Diffenderfer 1: Verification of dose and dose rate for quality assurance of spread-out-Bragg-peak proton FLASH radiotherapy using machine log files. Med Phys June 2025.
Gwendolyn M Cramer 1, Richard W Davis 4th 1, Emmanouil Papasavvas 2, Astero Klampatsa 3, Joann M Miller 1, Shirron Carter 1, Ruth Ikpe 1, Min Yuan 1, Sandy Widura 2, R Sonali Majumdar 2, Sally McNulty 1, Mary Putt 4, Andrew V Kossenkov 2, Luis J Montaner 2, Sunil Singhal 5, Edmund K Moon 3, Steven M Albelda 3, Keith A Cengel 1, Theresa M Busch 1: PD-1 Blockade Mitigates Surgery-Induced Immunosuppression and Increases the Efficacy of Photodynamic Therapy for Pleural Mesothelioma. Cancer Res Commun May 2025.
Ioannis I Verginadis 1, Anastasia Velalopoulou 1, Michele M Kim 1, Kyle Kim 1, Ioannis Paraskevaidis 1, Brett Bell 2, Seyyedeh Azar Oliaei Motlagh 1, Antoneta Karaj 3, Esha Banerjee 4, Giovanni Finesso 4, Charles-Antoine Assenmacher 4, Enrico Radaelli 4, Jiawei Lu 5, Yuewei Lin 5, Mary E Putt 3, Eric S Diffenderfer 1, Chandan Guha 2, Ling Qin 5, James M Metz 1, Amit Maity 1, Keith A Cengel 1, Constantinos Koumenis 1, Theresa M Busch 6: FLASH proton reirradiation, with or without hypofractionation, reduces chronic toxicity in the normal murine intestine, skin, and bone. Radiother Oncol April 2025.
Hongjing Sun 1 2, Michele M Kim 1, Yi Hong Ong 1, Andreea Dimofte 1, Sunil Singhal 3, Theresa M Busch 1, Keith A Cengel 1, Timothy C Zhu 1: Comprehensive reanalysis of light fluence distribution in pleural photodynamic therapy using standardized anatomical coordinates. Photochem Photobiol Jan 2025.
Sun H, Ong Y, Kim MM, Dimofte A, Singhal S, Cengel KA, Yodh AG, Zhu TC.: A Comprehensive Study of Reactive Oxygen Species Explicit Dosimetry for Pleural Photodynamic Therapy. Antioxidants (Basel) 13: 1436, Nov 2024.
Verginadis II, Velalopoulou A, Kim MM, Kim K, Paraskevaidis I, Bell B, Oliaei Motlagh SA, Karaj A, Banerjee E, Finesso G, Assenmacher CA, Radaelli E, Lu J, Lin Y, Putt ME, Diffenderfer ES, Guha C, Qin L, Metz JM, Maity A, Cengel KA, Koumenis C, Busch TM.: FLASH proton reirradiation, with or without hypofractionation, mitigates chronic toxicity in the normal murine intestine, skin, and bone. bioRxiv Jul 2024.
Yegya-Raman N, Berman AT, Ciunci CA, Friedes C, Berlin E, Iocolano M, Wang X, Lai C, Levin WP, Cengel KA, O'Reilly SE, Cohen RB, Aggarwal C, Marmarelis ME, Singh AP, Sun L, Bradley JD, Plastaras JP, Simone CB 2nd, Langer CJ, Feigenberg SJ.: Phase 2 Trial of Consolidation Pembrolizumab After Proton Reirradiation for Thoracic Recurrences of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 119: 56-65, May 2024.
Chowdhury P, Velalopoulou A, Verginadis II, Morcos G, Loo PE, Kim MM, Motlagh SAO, Shoniyozov K, Diffenderfer ES, Ocampo EA, Putt M, Assenmacher CA, Radaelli E, Lu J, Qin L, Liu H, Leli NM, Girdhani S, Denef N, Vander Stappen F, Cengel KA, Busch TM, Metz JM, Dong L, Lin A, Koumenis C.: Proton FLASH radiotherapy ameliorates radiation-induced salivary gland dysfunction and oral mucositis and increases survival in a mouse model of head and neck cancer. Mol Cancer Ther 23: 877-889, Apr 2024.
Friedes C, Iocolano M, Lee SH, Li B, Duan L, Levin WP, Cengel KA, Sun LL, Aggarwal C, Marmarelis ME, Doucette A, Cohen RB, Xiao Y, Langer CJ, Bradley J, Feigenberg SJ, Yegya-Raman N.: Patterns of Failure, Low-Volume Relapse, and Subsequent Ablative Management in Locally Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Treated With Definitive Chemoradiation and Consolidation Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 118: 1435-1444, Apr 2024.