Reply to P. Bhandari

All the authors thank Dr. Bhandari for comments on our recently published review, "Normal tissue protection for improving radiotherapy: where are the gaps?" We agree that opportunities for discovery and development of radioprotectors and mitigators include plant sources, which is an underexplored area. Our paper wasn’t intended to be an exhaustive review of radioprotectors/mitigators, but rather to present examples of important adverse effects of radiation therapy and current approaches and limitations of using radioprotectors/mitigators to improve treatment outcome and quality of life. Exploration of plant sources for radioprotective properties presents both scientific and economic opportunities and challenges, as noted by Dr. Bhandari.