Alpha-DaRT: breakthrough technology in radiation therapy

por Dr. Lior Arazi (Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel)

jueves 3 mar. 2022 12:30 → 14:00 Europe/Madrid

Salón de Actos (PCUV)

Abstract: Alpha particles are, in principle, an ideal tool for radiation therapy. A single alpha particle hit to a cell's nucleus can kill it, and unlike electrons, the effect is insensitive to biological conditions which can make cancer cells resistant to conventional radiation. The short range of alpha particles in tissue (only a few tens of microns) can guarantee that nearby healthy organs are spared. However, this very same property has so far prevented their use in the treatment of solid, macroscopic, tumors, because no practical way has been found to effectively cover the entire tumor volume with alpha emitting atoms. In this talk, I will present a new concept - Diffusing Alpha-emitters Radiation Therapy (Alpha DaRT') - which enables, for the first time, the treatment of solid tumors by alpha particles. I will discuss the physics principle which allows us to outsmart the short range limitation, leading to a successful treatment of already ~ 100 patients which had no other treatment options with remarkable results and negligible side effects.