Scientists from Institute for Frontier Science Initiative, Kanazawa University and their collaborators show that successfully developed a method that enables selective cancer treatment using targeted alpha therapy (*1).
Since α-rays used in nuclear medicine treatment have high cytotoxicity and travel short distance, if alpha radioactive nucleus can be selectively delivered to cancer cells, high therapeutic effects can be obtained with fewer side effects. In particular, astatine-211 (211At) (※2) is almost the only alpha radioactive nucleus for which a manufacturing method has been established in Japan. Furthermore, in recent years, the development of 211At-labeled drugs for clinical application has been active.????
This research group is 211 For targeted α-ray therapy with At, previous studies have shown that drugs that bind to albumin, an abundant protein in the blood ([211 At] 1), and in experiments with mice, we developed [211 At] 1 is highly concentrated in cancer cells and inhibits cancer growth. However, the [211 At] 1 stays in the bloodstream for a long time, there was concern about side effects. Therefore, it was decided to use a sufficient amount of [211 At] 1 After carrying the cancer to the [211 At] 1 Compounds that cut the binding of albumin in the blood to (3), with an additional dose of [211 At] 1 We investigated the possibility of improving the selectivity for cancer of As a result, we found that [211 At] 1 was not retained in the blood and was rapidly excreted from normal tissues other than cancer. On the other hand, the accumulation of α-rays in cancer cells did not decrease much and inhibited the growth of cancer cells. Further development of this study is expected to further increase the efficacy and decrease the side effects of targeted α-ray therapy.
The present study has been published in the online version of the international journal European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imagingon April 4, 2024.
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※1：Targeted alpha therapy (TAT)
A treatment method that kills cancer cells from within the body by administering to the patient a drug labeled with a compound that selectively accumulates in cancer cells, which is a nuclide that emits alpha rays that kill cancer cells. α-rays have travel short distances compare with β-rays and are more cytotoxic, therefore a high therapeutic effect can be achieved with fewer side effects.
※2: Astatine-211 (211At)
Astatine is an α-particle emitting nuclide that is highly cytotoxic and is therefore expected to be a powerful cancer treatment. Although there are no known stable isotopes of astatine, it is a halogen element. Therefore astatine-211 has similar chemical properties to other halogen elements such as iodine and bromine, making it possible to apply known labeling methods.
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Journal: European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
Researcher Information: Kazuma OGAWA
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