Article on radio-immunotherapy by Jostein Dahle published in Blood
The department of Radiation Biology decided two years ago to initiate research on alpha-particle based radioimmunotherapy. The project is headed by Jostein Dahle and is affiliated to the Molecular Radiation Biology group, headed by Trond Stokke.
The second paper from this project has recently been published in Blood - the most cited peer-reviewed publication in its field (impact factor 10.1).
Alpha-emitting radionuclides are highly cytotoxic and are of considerable interest in the treatment of cancer.
The researchers have developed a novel alpha-emitting radioimmunoconjugate - 227Th-rituximab - that has shown to be significantly more effective than the control radioimmunoconjugate and the standard beta-emitting for CD20 positive lymphoma, Zevalin®.
Thorium based constructs may provide a novel approach for targeted therapy against a wide variety of cancers.
Links:
Dahle J, Borrebaek J, Jonasdottir TJ, Hjelmerud AK, Melhus KB, Bruland OS, Press OW, Larsen RH.
Targeted cancer therapy with a novel low dose rate alpha-emitting radioimmunoconjugate. (link to PubMed)
Blood. 2007 May 29
Direct link to the article in Blood
Jostein Dahle
Trond Stokke's group - Molecular Radiation Biology (radium.no/stokke)
Department of Radiation Biology
Institute for Cancer Research