Dose measurements in pre-clinical and radiobiology studies are frequently inadequate, thus undermining the reliability and reproducibility of the published findings.
Anna Subiel, Giuseppe Schettino et al
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Characterizing Preclinical Proton Therapy With SARRP
The development and construction of clinical proton therapy centers has almost become the norm for any major cancer treatment center. Roughly 58 proton centers are currently operating throughout the world, and an estimated 52 (this number could be greater) are currently being built or are planned for construction. With the recent emergence of so many proton centers more so than ever, one would think the use of protons in cancer is a new form of treatment. However, the truth of the matter is it’s basically the opposite.
Queen’s University Belfast is the latest Xstrahl User Spotlight
Recently, the Radiobiology Research Group from the Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology at Queen’s University Belfast published a series of articles using SARRP to explore different translationally focused experimental approaches. The group, led by Prof Kevin Prise and Dr Karl Butterworth, have published three back to back papers within three months which reflect the interests of the research program in nanoparticle theranostics, bystander signaling and novel combination therapy.
RADiant and SARRP updates feature for Xstrahl at ASTRO 2016
The Annual Meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) conference in Boston, September 26 – 28, will see Xstrahl Ltd (Booth 7057) showcase a range of new and updated products and systems. The Medical side of the business will be presenting the updated Photoelectric Therapy system, whilst Xstrahl Life Sciences highlights the recent developments and new accessories for SARRP. The ASTRO Annual Meeting is the world’s most important meeting for the radiation oncology community, with more than 11,000 people attending.
Nice develops medtech innovation briefing for Xstrahl distributed xoft axxent electronic brachytherapy system
NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) has announced a new Medtech Innovation Briefing (MIB)1 stating that NHS doctors and commissioners may consider Single Dose Intraoperative Radiotherapy (SD-IORT) using Xstrahl distributed Xoft Axxent eBx as a treatment option for early stage breast cancer patients. A single dose of intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) is an effective and convenient alternative to daily conventional radiotherapy for appropriate early stage breast cancer patients.
Validating clinical practice using SARRP; simulating clinical radiotherapy in a model mimicking spontaneous occurring NSCLC
Over 60% of cancer patients worldwide will receive radiotherapy as a part of their overall treatment plan. Recently, stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) has been recognized as a favorable treatment option for those cancer types that remain inoperable. SBRT administers very high doses of radiation in a small number of fractions, and has been shown to achieve 3-year control rates of roughly 90% in stage 1 NSCLC’s.
Immunotherapy and SARRP; a breakthrough investigation using a clinically relevant model to yield clinically relevant data
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is characteristically radioresistant tumor type with roughly 25% of patients requiring radiotherapy as form of treatment. With poor clinical outcomes (5-year survival of 7%) new and innovative treatments are required to improve patient outcome. Due to the lack of an effective treatment in the clinic for PDAC, translational research yielding clinically relevant results is necessary to develop new and effective treatment.
Xbridge connectivity showcased at degro 2016
Xstrahl (Booth B29) will showcase the next generation in 3rd party connectivity for Xstrahl systems at this year’s Deutschen Gesellschaft für Radioonkologie e.V. (DEGRO) in Mannheim, Germany from 16th – 19th June. XBridge offers Xstrahl users the ability to communicate with 3rd party clinical information systems, enabling data import of patient demographics and export of treatment information, ensuring traceability throughout a patient’s treatment.
A preclinical murine model for the early detection of radiation-induced brain injury using magnetic resonance imaging and behavioral tests for learning and memory: with applications for the evaluation of possible stem cell imaging agents and therapies.
Stem cell therapies are being developed for radiotherapy-induced brain injuries (RIBI). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) offers advantages for imaging transplanted stem cells. However, most MRI cell-tracking techniques employ superparamagnetic iron oxide particles (SPIOs), which are difficult to distinguish from hemorrhage. In current preclinical RIBI models, hemorrhage occurs concurrently with other injury markers. This makes the evaluation of the recruitment of transplanted SPIO-labeled stem cells to injury sites difficult. Here, we developed a RIBI model, with early injury markers reflective of hippocampal dysfunction, which can be detected noninvasively with MRI and behavioral tests. Lesions were generated by sub-hemispheric irradiation of mouse hippocampi with single X-ray beams of 80 Gy. Lesion formation was monitored with anatomical and contrast-enhanced MRI and changes in memory and learning were assessed with fear-conditioning tests. Early injury markers were detected 2 weeks after irradiation. These included an increase in the permeability of the blood-brain barrier, demonstrated by a 92 ± 20 % contrast enhancement of the irradiated versus the non-irradiated brain hemispheres, within 15 min of the administration of an MRI contrast agent. A change in short-term memory was also detected, as demonstrated by a 40.88 ± 5.03 % decrease in the freezing time measured during the short-term memory context test at this time point, compared to that before irradiation. SPIO-labeled stem cells transplanted contralateral to the lesion migrated toward the lesion at this time point. No hemorrhage was detected up to 10 weeks after irradiation. This model can be used to evaluate SPIO-based stem cell-tracking agents, short-term.
Ngen EJ, Wang L, Gandhi N, Kato Y, Armour M, Zhu W, Wong J, Gabrielson KL, Artemov D.
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