ERC project BARB publishes key study in “Nature Physics”
DARMSTADT – An international research team led by the GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research has made a decisive advance in tumor therapy. Within the framework of the ERC project BARB – Biomedical Applications of Radioactive Ion Beams , the treatment of a tumor in an animal with radioactive ion beams was successfully demonstrated for the first time. The results were published in the journal Nature Physics .
More precise radiotherapy through dual application
At the heart of the work is the idea of using radioactive ion beams simultaneously for treatment and imaging. This could significantly reduce one of the greatest challenges in particle therapy – the so-called range uncertainty. Thanks to the intense radiation that can be generated at GSI/FAIR during ongoing experimental operations, this concept has been implemented for the first time under realistic conditions.
Professor Marco Durante , head of the Biophysics Department at GSI and project coordinator, explains: “The new idea of using the same beam for treatment and for imaging during therapy can pave the way for even more precise and versatile applications.”
First animal treatment successful
In the study, a bone tumor (osteosarcoma) in a mouse was treated with a radioactive carbon ion beam (11C). The tumor was located near the spinal cord—a particularly sensitive area. A dose of 20 Gray achieved complete tumor control without serious side effects.
A detector developed at LMU Munich played a key role, enabling real-time localization of the ion beam within the body. This enabled image-guided radioactive ion beam therapy to be successfully performed under preclinical conditions for the first time.
Cooperation and international collaboration
The BARB project is funded by an ERC Advanced Grant and brings together experts from the GSI/FAIR research pillars, the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich and international partners.
"BARB impressively demonstrates how applied nuclear physics can provide direct impetus for medical applications," says project leader Marco Durante. The researchers also see potential in the method for treating metastases, tumors near critical structures, and even non-cancerous diseases.
outlook
The results are considered a milestone on the path to future clinical applications. In the future, additional short-lived isotopes will be investigated, allowing even faster feedback during therapy. This research will be further expanded with the Super-FRS fragment separator at FAIR.
The most recent BARB experiments were completed in May, and further publications are in preparation. The experiences are also being incorporated into Professor Durante's new ERC project HI-FLASH – Heavy Ion FLASH , for which he recently received another ERC Advanced Grant.
(Darmstadt - red/gsi)
