Computational Modeling of Energy-Dependent Radiation-Induced Cellular Damage using an Enhanced Linear–Quadratic Framework for Radiology Optimization
Keywords:
Linear–Quadratic model, Radiobiology, Cellular Survival, Photon Energy, Absorbed Dose, Radiation DamageAbstract
The increasing application of ionizing radiation in diagnostic imaging has raised concerns regarding radiation-induced cellular damage and the need for biologically informed radiological optimization. This study developed an enhanced computational Linear–Quadratic (LQ) framework to investigate the combined effects of photon energy and absorbed dose on cellular survival and damage in mammalian cells. The model incorporated energy-dependent radiosensitivity parameters and evaluated X-ray photon energies from 10 to 150 keV over absorbed doses of 0–10 Gy. Cellular survival fraction and damage index were calculated using the LQ formalism, while regression and contour analyses were used to characterize energy–dose relationships. The results showed a progressive decrease in radiosensitivity from 0.75 at 10 keV to 0.33 at 150 keV, indicating greater predicted biological effectiveness at lower photon energies. At 1 Gy, survival fraction increased from 0.438 to 0.696 as photon energy increased from 10 to 150 keV, whereas the corresponding damage index decreased from 0.562 to 0.304. At 4 Gy, survival fractions ranged from 0.015 to 0.158, while at 10 Gy, survival approached complete cellular inactivation across all investigated energies. Regression analysis demonstrated increasingly strong relationships between photon energy and damage index with increasing dose, with R² values ranging from 0.618 at 1 Gy to 0.903 at 6 Gy. Contour analysis further demonstrated greater predicted cellular damage at lower photon energies, particularly at intermediate doses. The proposed framework provides a quantitative approach for evaluating energy-dependent radiobiological responses and supporting radiological optimization and radiation protection strategies.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Mohammed Auwal Yusuf, Usman Hussaini Usman, Joseph Aza Ahile

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