Nanotechnology Now - News Story: Beyond the Abstract - Biological in situ dose painting for image-guided radiation therapy using drug-loaded implantable devices

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January 18th, 2010

Beyond the Abstract - Biological in situ dose painting for image-guided radiation therapy using drug-loaded implantable devices

Abstract:
Methods to augment the biological action of radiation therapy in prostate and other tumors without additional toxicity to surrounding normal tissues would be useful for improving the therapeutic ratio.

In order to achieve high spatial accuracy, modern radiation therapy practice routinely utilizes implantation of fiducials (external beam therapy) or radioactive source spacers (brachytherapy) into the tumor. These implantable devices are an essential technical component of radiation delivery during Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT), but are inert and provide no direct therapeutic function.

The next step will be to test the method (termed BIS-IGRT, Biological In-Situ enhanced IGRT) in animal models. A series of drug-loaded devices is under development for this purpose, in collaboration with nanotechnology and nanomedicine experts at Northeastern University, in order to look at the tumor-sensitizing properties of the implants.

Source:
urotoday.com

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