AlphaMet - Metrology for emerging targeted alpha therapies
Targeted alpha therapy (TAT) is a rapidly growing cancer treatment modality, whereby alpha-emitting radiopharmaceuticals selectively target tumours whilst minimising the radiation to healthy tissues. Presently only 223RaCl2 has regulatory approval. The success of its application has resulted in unprecedented level of interest and investment in other α-emitters that can be used in TAT therapy for the treatment of various cancers.
Alpha particles, with their short penetration range and high linear energy transfer, can cause more DNA damage than β-particles. TAT therapy in clinical trials shows promising efficacy and improved survival even in patients who do not respond to beta-emitting analogues.
However, there are several unmet and unique measurement challenges such as: lack of validated primary (secondary) activity standards, time-dependent in-growth of the decay progeny, low level of administered activity, and poor quantification of its magnitude and absorbed doses in-vivo. They constitute a barrier to the safe and optimized implementation of emerging targeted alpha therapies.
The best approach to delivering TAT is still under debate and no good practice guides are available. The treatment used is not guided by dosimetry. The accuracy, reproducibility, and uncertainties in TAT delivery are presently unknown, and a recent ICRU Report 96 highlights the need to address the lack of traceability and standardisation/harmonisation.
The ongoing AlphaMet project, which brings together experts from National Metrology Institutes, hospitals, academia and industry, will provide the metrology needed to support end-to-end traceability of the TAT therapy before wide routine adoption.
The Laboratory of Radioactivity Standards at NCBJ OR POLATOM is involved in the implementation of Task 1.1 in the WP1 work package. The task concerns the development of new primary activity standards and improving the accuracy of nuclear data (α and γ emissions, half-lives) of α-emitters for imaging and dosimetry. The task aims to standardize 225Ac to improve metrological traceability in preclinical and clinical research. Intercomparison of 225Ac activity measurements will be organized between NMI/Dis participating in the project. Activity standards will be delivered to preclinical centres and hospitals involved in the project. New measurements of nuclear data will also be carried out for the improvement of dosimetry calculations.
Duration of the project:
Source of financing:
Grant amount:
1 887 356.25 EUR
Grant amount for OR POLATOM (NCBJ):
100 000 EUR
Participants:
The project is implemented by a consortium consisting of the following units:
CMI (Cesky Metrologicky Institut) Czechia
CEA (Commissariat à l’énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives) France
CIEMAT (Centro deinvestigaciones energeticas medioambientales y tecnologicas) Spain
ENEA (Agenzia Nazionale per le nuove tecnologie l’energia e lo sviluppo economico sostenibile) Italy
NCBJ (Narodowe Centrum Badań Jądrowych) Poland
SCK CEN (Studiecentrum vor Kerneenergie / Centre d’Etude do l’Energie Nucléaire) Belgium
BfS (Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz) Germany
KU Leuven (Katholieke Universität München) Belgium
KUM (Klinikum der Universität München) Germany
OSA (Servicio Vasco de Salud Osakidetza) Spain
UGOT (Göteborgs Universitet) Sweden
UKW (Universitätsklinikum Würzburg – Klinikum der bayerischen Julius – Maximilians – Universität) Germany
ARRONAX (Groupement Internet Public ARRONAX) France
BB (Asociación Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Biobizkaia) Spain
CHUV (Centre hospitalier universitaire vaudois) Switzerland
NPL (NPL Management Limited) United Kingdom
RSFT (Royal Surrey County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust) United Kingdom
OR POLATOM Project Manager:
dr hab. Ryszard Broda
