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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 achieved a significant breakthrough 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 using radioactive ion beams was successfully demonstrated for the first time. The results were published in the journal Nature Physics .
More precise radiation therapy through dual application
The central idea of this work is to use radioactive ion beams simultaneously for treatment and imaging. This could significantly reduce one of the biggest challenges of particle therapy – the so-called range uncertainty. Thanks to the intense radiation that can be generated at GSI/FAIR during ongoing experiments, 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 this study, a bone tumor (osteosarcoma) in a mouse was treated with a radioactive carbon-11 ion beam. 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 key role was played by a detector developed at LMU Munich, which enabled the real-time localization of the ion beam within the body. This allowed for the first successful implementation of image-guided radioactive ion beam therapy under preclinical conditions.
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-Maximilians-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
Super-FRS fragment separator currently under construction at FAIR.
The latest experiments within the BARB project were completed in May, and further publications are in preparation. The findings 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)
