Personalizing Medicine: New Research Shows Potential Of Targeted Therapies For Cancer Jun 29, 2008
In traditional radioimmunoimaging (RAII), radioisotopes are linked directly to antibodies and are delivered together to tumor targets ... The excessive blood-pool activity masks the radioisotope uptake in tumor lesions, thereby lowering the sensitivity and limiting the selectivity of traditional RAII. ... "This study demonstrates the advantages of pretargeting--an alternative strategy that uses a 'two-step' approach to the delivery of radioisotopes--when applied to the imaging of tumors using a... (Science Daily)
New Therapy Shows Promise For Fighting Treatment-resistant Cancer Cells Jun 19, 2008
This gene would simultaneously track the cancer cells and treat them by allowing them to absorb iodine and radioisotope more easily. To improve imaging of the cancer cells even further, researchers also engineered the reporter gene to turn fluorescent when it encountered HIF-1 liver cancer cells so they could be tracked with optical imaging techniques. (Science Daily)
Data To Be Presented at ASCO Supports Potential of Peregrine's Cotara(R) for the Treatment of Brain Cancer Jun 1, 2008
Cotara is a targeted monoclonal antibody linked to a radioisotope being developed as a potential new treatment for glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), a deadly form of brain cancer. Cotara specifically targets cells at the center of brain tumors, so its radioactive payload is able to kill cancer cells while leaving healthy tissue largely unaffected. (PR Newswire)
Daring mission to the sun's corona May 22, 2008
"In the last incarnation, it was a $1.2 billion mission that required an RTG," he said, referring to radioisotope thermoelectric generators that transform the heat from decaying plutonium into electricity. "And that was a big improvement over a previous version which was a multi-billion-dollar mission.". (MSNBC -- Technology)
Thyroid Cancer Patients at Risk of Second Cancer Mar 15, 2008
Patients who received radioisotope therapy -- which is commonly used to diagnose and treat certain cancers and thyroid disorders -- were at increased risk of developing non-thyroid second primary cancers, the investigators say, compared with the general population and with non-irradiated survivors of thyroid cancer. However, Tward stressed to Reuters Health, that "radioisotope use is a safe and effective therapy whose merits far outweigh the small probability of developing a secondary cancer.". (MEDLINEplus)
The top 5 ways medical physics has changed health care Feb 29, 2008
College Park, MD (February 28, 2008) -- Many of the greatest inventions in modern medicine were developed by physicists who imported technologies such as X rays, nuclear magnetic resonance, ultrasound, particle accelerators and radioisotope tagging and detection techniques into the medical domain. There they became magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computerized tomography (CT) scanning, nuclear medicine, positron emission tomography (PET) scanning, and various radiotherapy treatment methods. (EurekAlert!)
Family of slain BC woman appeals for help Feb 8, 2008
Family of slain B.C. woman appeals for help. Family of slain B.C. woman appeals for help. (CBC British Columbia)
Treatment Capitalizes On Unique Qualities Of Radioisotope To Prolong Lives Of Brain Tumor Patients Feb 4, 2008
3, 2008) In a study to determine safe dosages of the isotope astatine-211 for treating patients with recurring brain tumors, researchers were pleasantly surprised to find that not only was the isotope's potency sufficient to kill residual cancer cells without damaging sensitive healthy brain cells, but the patients experienced longer survival rates. "Astatine-211 has as much as five times or more cell-killing efficiency than the standard treatments of external beam radiation or beta-particle... (Science Daily)
Combined radiation seed, chemotherapy wafer implants show promise in treating cancerous brain tumors Jan 18, 2008
The seeds, housed in a titanium casing filled with iodine-125 (a radioisotope of iodine) are the size of grains of rice. The seeds are left in the brain cavity permanently, and radiation is delivered for six months. (EurekAlert!)
Lunn knew of reactor issues in September: report Jan 10, 2008
The potential danger involved with a small scale medical radioisotope reactor are miniscule compared to one for power production. The problems with this reactor were well known throughout the last tenures of the Liberal Governments. (CTV.ca)
From the ashes| Jan 10, 2008
"The big thing with this isotope game," says NTP Radioisotopes (Pty) Ltd boss Don Robertson, "is that there is no bloody shelf life." ... 5 percent U-235 and nuclear fuel assembly production for Koeberg nuclear power station) are now those running the large and growing radioisotope business at Pelindaba. (iAfrica.com)
Supply of radioisotopes is slowly returning to normal Dec 23, 2007
SYDNEY As the supply of radioisotopes slowly returns to normal with the startup of a nuclear reactor in Ontario, the Cape Breton Regional Hospital is expected to start booking new appointments in nuclear medicine next week ... So far this week, the hospital has used up the small radioisotope supply it received from another supplier nearly two weeks ago ... is responsible for producing nearly 45 per cent of the world s radioisotopes, and it had to shut down for maintenance. (Cape Breton Post)
DRAXIS Names GE Healthcare as Exclusive Distributor of DRAXIMAGE(R) Sestamibi in USA Dec 21, 2007
The radioisotope Technetium-99m is attached to the sestamibi molecule forming Tc-99m Sestamibi. When injected into the bloodstream this radiopharmaceutical agent is distributed throughout the heart muscle in proportion to the blood flow received by various portions of the heart. (PR Newswire)
A Lifetime Pacemaker Revisited Dec 20, 2007
On April 10, 1973, my colleagues and I implanted a plutonium-238 radioisotope pacemaker in a 20-year-old woman who had complete atrioventricular block after repair of a ventricular septal defect 6 years earlier. The nuclear pacemaker (Numec NU-5), one of the first of such devices implanted in the United States, was attached to a unipolar, "thumb tack" electrode of our own design. (New England Journal of Medicine)
Isotope shortage hits U.S. Dec 15, 2007
So when the Canadian Parliament stepped in late Tuesday and passed emergency legislation to restart the Ontario reactor - which produces an all-important radioisotope used in a plethora of medical procedures and scans - those in nuclear medicine found a burden lifted. But they also found renewed hope that American authorities have finally recognized the urgency for the radioisotope's production in the United States ... It's great news for professionals in the field and their patients, as well as... (Daily Iowan, IA)
Nuclear-reactor closure hits cancer tests Dec 13, 2007
Shortage of radioisotopes reaches US patients ... MDS Nordion, an Ottawa-based life-sciences firm and molybdenum supplier to Bristol-Myers Squibb Medical Imaging, says it expects shortages of the radioisotope until mid-January. (Nature News Service)
Liberals say reactor shutdown put 'lives at risk' Dec 9, 2007
Radioisotopes, which are necessary for diagnosing diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and bone ailments, are seen in this undated photo ... That's left medical facilities in Canada and around the world without radioisotopes that are necessary for diagnosing diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and bone ailments ... The government-run Chalk River NRU reactor, which supplies two-thirds of the world's radioisotopes, shut down in November for scheduled maintenance. (CTV.ca)
Reactor shutdown limits medical tests Dec 6, 2007
TORONTO - Hundreds of thousands of medical tests worldwide were in jeopardy yesterday after a key maker of radioisotopes for nuclear medicine said its Canadian reactor would be out of commission longer than expected. The delays come after Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. said Tuesday its National Research Universal reactor at Chalk River in eastern Ontario, which supplies more than two-thirds of the world's radioisotopes, would not be back to full production until early to mid-January ... "This is a... (Boston Globe)
Kill the Virus, Stop the Cancer Nov 3, 2007
In an attempt to do this, the researchers used a technique known as radioimmunotherapy in which radioisotopes (unstable elements that release radiation) mounted on antibodies (protein molecules akin to infection search-and-destroy missiles) are injected into the body. Once inside, researchers found that the antibodies zeroed in on their targets viral antigens and the radioisotopes destroyed nearby cancer cells without damaging surrounding healthy tissue ... "So we hoped that by injecting... (Scientific American)
Cancer Treated As An Infectious Disease -- With Promising Results Nov 3, 2007
The Einstein researchers used a technique called radioimmunotherapy, in which radioisotopes are piggybacked onto antibodies ... and the radioisotope "warhead" destroys the cell to which the protein is attached ... "So we hoped that by injecting antibodies hitched to isotopes into the blood that they'd be carried deep into the tumor mass and would latch onto these now-exposed antigens. Then the blast of radiation emitted by the radioisotope would destroy the live tumor cells nearby.". (Science Daily)
Ways To Teach Approved Drugs New Tricks: How To Combat Cancer Oct 30, 2007
Both veltuzumab and milatuzumab are "naked" antibodies monoclonal antibodies that are not bound to a therapeutic drug or radioisotope but each latches on to different receptors on the surface of lymphoma cells. Milatuzumab binds to the CD74 receptor and is then rapidly internalized into the cell, in contrast to CD20, which is not taken inside cells as rapidly. (Science Daily)
Dr. Eugene L. Saenger, 90, expert in nuclear medicine Oct 13, 2007
He joined the medical faculty at the university in 1949, became a full professor in 1962 and was director of the medical college's radioisotope laboratory from 1962 until his retirement in 1987. He was awarded the Gold Medal by the Radiological Society of North America, its highest honor. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- World)
Eugene Saenger, 90; pioneer in radiation research Oct 6, 2007
Physicians viewed radioisotopes as a promising new therapy for cancer and perhaps some other diseases ... In 1987, the university's radioisotope laboratory was renamed in his honor. (Los Angeles Times)
Cancer care treatment warning Jun 18, 2007
The scan involves injecting patients with a radioisotope, which is metabolised differently by cancer cells, allowing them to show up clearly in three-dimensional images. Dr Arthur said the Royal North Shore Hospital might consider buying a PET machine from its own budget. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Australia)
What's Going On In The Body? Advanced Time-of-flight PET Takes A Superior 'Look' Jun 12, 2007
Very simply, conventional PET scanners create images by detecting gamma rays produced by a radioisotope after it is administered to a patient. Conventional scans track where the rays go, but they don't take into consideration the precise time it takes for each ray to reach the PET detector. (Science Daily)
Nkrumah lays foundation for atomic reactor .. in 1964 Apr 11, 2007
A Radio Isotope Centre is assisting five agriculture centres of the Ghana Academy of Sciences and the University of Ghana in the application of radioisotope techniques in the study of plant protection from weeds and insect pests, and the uptake of fertilizers by plants under local conditions. Among other uses of nuclear power, it is hoped to develop peaceful uses of nuclear explosives for excavation, mining and recovery of gas and oil. (Ghana Web, Ghana)
Custom-made cancer cell attacks Feb 17, 2007
Ruth says radioisotope therapy is the next big frontier in health care because different types of chemicals can be selected for tailor-made treatment programs ... Bearing that principle in mind, researchers can make custom types of radioactive chemicals or radioisotopes that will attack cancer cells in a more efficient way than current cancer treatments. (EurekAlert!)
Cancer detectors more sophisticated Jan 14, 2007
So patients are given glucose "tagged" with a radioisotope. Cancer cells gobble up this radioisotope, producing "hot spots.". (North County Times)
WP: Ex-KGB agents poisoning sets off alarm bells Jan 7, 2007
"Everything connected with polonium production and application is controlled by governments," Boris Zhuikov, head of the radioisotope laboratory of the Nuclear Studies Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, said in an interview. "You cannot just put any target inside a reactor. It is regulated and checked by many, many people. It would be discovered.". (MSNBC -- International)
Speeding Development Of Novel Tracer For Prostate Cancer Jan 6, 2007
Together with A Preliminary Study of Anti 1-Amino-3-[18F] Fluorocyclobutyl-1-Carboxylic Acid for the Detection of Prostate Cancer, the two papers illustrate the development of a promising radioisotope tracer (a radioactive substance) from in vitro stage (in a test tube) to in vivo (within a live subject) in animals to in vivo in individuals with prostate cancer, explained Schuster. The Emory pilot study with FACBC, performed with only 15 patients, shows that the amino acid analog may hold the... (Science Daily)
Report calls for improved monoclonal antibodies against solid tumors Dec 11, 2006
Given these advances in our knowledge, the authors write, an equally large number of antibody construct and therapy variables are available for optimization including size, charge, and valence; constant region type and glycosylation pattern; presence or absence of a radioisotope or a toxic moiety; dose, route, and schedule of administration; and use of a traditional or of a pre-targeting strategy. They conclude the framework they offer should facilitate critical choices among antibody... (EurekAlert!)
Cancer cases on the rise - GAEC Nov 26, 2006
He said though scientific research started far back in 1952 at the Physics Department of the then University of Gold Coast, (now University of Ghana) work in radioisotope application gained ground in 1959 with Ghana signing the Non Proliferation Treaty in 1970 after she had joined the IAEA in 1970. He said the main function of the Commission included peaceful application of nuclear techniques and biotechnology for the sustainable development of Ghana ensuing that nuclear safety and security were... (Ghana Web, Ghana)
Radioactive weapons against AIDS? Nov 8, 2006
The Einstein researchers used a technique called radioimmunotherapy, in which radioisotopes are piggy-backed onto antibodies. Once these precision-made molecules are injected into the body, the antibodies home in on a specific protein target and the radioisotope "warhead" destroys the cell to which that protein is attached. (ZDNet)
Fujifilm Acquires Daiichi Radioisotope Laboratories, Diagnostic Radiopharmaceuticals Manufacturer Sep 12, 2006
Tokyo, Sept 11, 2006 (JCN) - Fuji Photo Film has announced plans to acquire all shares of Daiichi Radioisotope Laboratories, Ltd., a leading of diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals. DRL is a subsidiary of Daiichi Pharmaceutical, a wholly owned subsidiary of Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd.. (JCN Network, Japan)
Radioactive treatment can set off security alarms Aug 8, 2006
Dr. Gangopadhyay says in the report that depending on the type of radioisotope used, patients may be capable of triggering a radiation alarm for up to 95 days and he is concerned about the lack of awareness about such potential problems ... The researchers say when they searched medical literature they found four similar cases and suggest the use in future of more sensitive radiation detectors at airports worldwide, means it is highly likely that alarms caused by radioisotope-treated patients... (News-Medical.net)
Medical treatment makes patients raioactive Aug 5, 2006
"An accompanying editorial suggests that, based on current evidence, doctors should advise patients who are about to receive radioisotopes to avoid close contact with other people, do not try to conceive, and take their radiation certificates when flying.Endocrinology lecturer Dr Daniel Cuthbertson and nuclear medical consultant Dr John Davidson, both of Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Dundee, said: "The only practical solution must be to adequately counsel anyone receiving radioiodine... (Life Style Extra)
Radioisotope treatment can trigger airport alarms Aug 5, 2006
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A case report illustrates how someone being treated with radioisotopes may be sufficiently radioactive for several weeks to set off radiation detectors at airports ... Depending on the type of radioisotope used, patients may be capable of triggering a radiation alarm for up to 95 days, the report indicates ... They note that with more sensitive radiation detectors being installed at airports worldwide, there is a good chance that alarms caused by radioisotope-treated... (Reuters)
Shared ancestor to humans, present-day non-human primates may be linchpin in evolution of language Jul 24, 2006
To measure brain activity, the researchers injected water labeled with oxygen-15, a biologically safe, fast-degrading radioisotope, into the bloodstream of three adult macaques. As neural activity increases in a given region of the brain, blood and the radioactive water it carries rushes into that region. (EurekAlert!)
Tehran offered reactors (Edith M. Lederer) Jul 14, 2006
They would also "provide a substantive package of research and development cooperation, including possible provision of light-water research reactors, notably in the fields of radioisotope production, basic research and nuclear applications in medicine and agriculture." The six powers would support a conference "to promote dialogue and cooperation on regional security issues," establish a long-term energy partnership between Iran and the European Union and other willing partners, and cooperate... (Washington Times, DC)
Heat on PM over nuclear gas leak Jun 15, 2006
The most immediate consequence will be delays in cancer and heart scans for seriously ill patients because the accident impaired the production of a key medical radioisotope. A broken pipe in a hot cell means it cannot produce molybdenum-99 - a radioactive compound needed to perform nuclear medicine scans to assess damage to the bones, lungs, kidneys, brain or heart. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Australia)
Air travel poses health challenges Jun 13, 2006
Radioisotopes used for nuclear medicine scans may trigger warnings from radiation detectors. Patients who plan to fly within 30 days of having heart scans, bone scans, or thyroid scans should carry documents listing the date and place of the procedure, the radioisotope used and the likely duration of emissions, and a way to verify the information. (Charlotte.com, NC -- Living)
New Combination Treatment Induces Regression Of Prostate Cancer Jun 9, 2006
"We explored combining radionuclide therapy based on the radioisotope Samarium-153 with carrier EDTMP and chemotherapy to achieve actual regression and prolonged survival," said Mariani. "Our research confirms the possibility of achieving tumor targeting of a radiopharmaceutical with such efficiency that it induces a definite therapeutic effect, and this shows the possibility of obtaining a synergistic therapeutic effect in combination with conventional chemotherapy," he explained. (Science Daily)
Data Presented at SNM Meeting Demonstrate New Potential for PROSTASCINT(R) through Advances in Nuclear Medicine Imaging Jun 8, 2006
"An eigenvalue based similarity measure and its application to tumor detection in nuclear medicine (Abstract # 1427)" The objective of this study by researchers at King's College Hospital in London is to automatically detect significant differences between images acquired at either different times or with different radioisotopes for the purpose of automated tumor detection ... 3) directed against PSMA that is linked to the imaging radioisotope Indium-111. (PR Newswire)
Jamie Ambrose May 11, 2006
Eventually Ambrose and Perry took Hounsfield round the department, showing him x-rays, arteriograms, radioisotope scans, and their newest and best ultrasound images. Hounsfield said: "I can do better than that." Ambrose gave him a bottled specimen of a brain cut through and showing a tumour. (Guardian Unlimited -- Life)
Woman's last hope tied up in red tape Mar 17, 2006
Zevalin works like a smart bomb, delivering radiation directly to tumour cells, uniting the monoclonal antibody search agent "ibritumomab tiuxetan" with the cancer-killing radioisotope "yttrium-90.". Under this cruise-missile-type therapy, the monoclonal antibody searches for a specific type of protein called CD20, found on the surfaces of cancer cells. (Globe and Mail)
Questions Surround Irans Nuclear Program Mar 3, 2006
The IAEA has also not been able to resolve residual uncertainties regarding Iran s experiments involving the separation of polonium-210, which is a radioisotope that can help trigger a nuclear chain reaction in certain types of nuclear weapons. ElBaradei reported in November 2004 that the IAEA is somewhat uncertain regard ing the plausibility of Iran s claim that the experiments were not for nuclear weapons because the civilian applications of polo nium-210 are very limited. (Arms Control Today)
Reaching for Pluto: NASA Launches Probe to Solar System's Edge Jan 23, 2006
Grounds stations received their first signals from New Horizons at about 2:50 p.m. EST (1950 GMT), which showed the spacecrafts radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG) which uses heat from decaying plutonium dioxide to generate power is online and performing as expected, mission managers said. The vehicle looks to be right where it needs to be," NASA launch manager Omar Baez, said just after liftoff. "It was Mother Nature that was holding us back earlier, but we got through it. (Space.com)
New Horizons off to Pluto Jan 22, 2006
New Horizons gets its juice from "a single radioisotope thermoelectric generator" and consumes less than 200 watts. Once at Pluto, New Horizons will "characterize the global geology and geomorphology of Pluto and Charon [Pluto's moon], map their surface compositions and temperatures, and examine Pluto's atmospheric composition and structure". (Register)
Nuke probe worries activists Jan 17, 2006
Twenty-four pounds of radioactive plutonium is located in New Horizon's radioisotope thermoelectric generator, an aluminum-encased, 123-pound cylinder, 31/2 feet long and 11/2-foot wide, that sticks out of the spacecraft like a gun on a tank. Inside the cylinder are 18 graphite-enclosed compartments, each holding 1 1/3 pounds of the plutonium dioxide. (CNN -- Science)
Upcoming NASA launch draws anti-nuke protesters Jan 9, 2006
The probe's systems are powered by a radioisotope thermoelectric generator, or RTG, that produces electricity from decaying plutonium. In the event of a launch failure, there is a chance some of the radioactive material could be released into the air. (Orlando Sentinel)
