Agustina Portu and Mario Gadan, Phds in science and technology (UNSAM), gave a talk for the members of the Center for Research in Bionanosciences (CIBION) on April 21st.
The speakers gave a brief introduction to the basics of Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) to understand the importance of determining 10B distributions and further discussed the development of the techniques performed in their group.
This is a project that is being implemented at the National Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA), where both researchers work. The objective of his proposal is to generate the technology, facilities, and scientific and medical studies to bring a boron-based treatment to the clinical field.
In this sense, Gadan and Portu, BNCT is a form of hadrontherapy for the treatment of certain solid tumors that is based on the radiobiological effects induced by the light ions generated in the neutron capture reaction, 10B(n,α)7Li. These products deliver all their energy over very short distances, on the order of cell diameter, with the capacity to cause lethal damage. In this way, if the 10B atoms accumulate preferentially in the tumor, BNCT makes it possible to offer a selective treatment at the cellular level, this being its main radiobiological characteristic.
Thus, they commented that it is then evident that the distribution of 10B in tissues, both healthy and in the tumor, is a highly relevant factor in this therapy. In view of this, his working group has been dedicated to the development of nuclear imaging techniques, such as neutron autoradiography, and their implementation for the determination of 10B concentrations in biological samples and their spatial distribution.
About the speakers
Agustina Portu has a PhD in Science and Technology from the University of San Martín. She is a researcher in the Department of Radiobiology of the National Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA - CONICET) and coordinator of the biomedical area of the School of Science and Technology of the University of San Martín.
Mario Gadan is a PhD in Science and Technology, also from the University of San Martín. He is head researcher of the BNCT Coordination Department of the Health Nuclear Applications Area Management of the National Atomic Energy Commission. He is a professor of medical physics engineering at Favaloro University.
