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

•In this report, the RAD-ADAPT software for modelling clonogenic assay data in radiation biology is presented.•It uses maximum likelihood estimation based on a Poisson data model to fit widely used survival models.•RAD-ADAPT is a standalone, integrated software system and is freely available as a downloadable executable for Windows-based systems.

We present a comprehensive software program, RAD-ADAPT, for the quantitative analysis of clonogenic assays in radiation biology. Two commonly used models for clonogenic assay analysis, the linear-quadratic model and single-hit multi-target model, are included in the software. RAD-ADAPT uses maximum likelihood estimation method to obtain parameter estimates with the assumption that cell colony count data follow a Poisson distribution. The program has an intuitive interface, generates model prediction plots, tabulates model parameter estimates, and allows automatic statistical comparison of parameters between different groups. The RAD-ADAPT interface is written using the statistical software R and the underlying computations are accomplished by the ADAPT software system for pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic systems analysis. The use of RAD-ADAPT is demonstrated using an example that examines the impact of pharmacologic ATM and ATR kinase inhibition on human lung cancer cell line A549 after ionizing radiation.