MOSCOW, April 24 A radiopharmaceutical based on the technetium-99m isotope for accurate diagnosis of prostate cancer has been developed by scientists from the Tomsk Polytechnic University. According to scientists, the drug is cheaper than analogues and easier to manufacture, and its use will allow timely assistance to a larger number of patients. This was reported in the press service of the university.
Cancer diagnostics and therapy using radioactive isotopes is an important area of medicine. The use of radionuclides makes it possible to detect and destroy cancer cells with great accuracy.
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Both the treatment and diagnosis of cancer with many radiopharmaceuticals, including a compound based on the lutetium-177-PSMA isotope used in Russia, involves the selection of patients using positron emission tomography (PET). Installations for it are expensive and not common in most countries, scientists said.
The more accessible and accurate diagnostics, the more patients will be able to receive effective treatment in time, the scientists emphasized.
A team of specialists from Tomsk Polytechnic University with the support of the Priority 2030 program of the Ministry of Education and Science has developed a radiopharmaceutical for the rapid diagnosis of prostate cancer, the use of which does not require PAT. According to scientists, the preparation consists of the technetium-99m isotope and a special protein molecule.
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“The protein used is sensitive to prostate-specific membrane antigen, a specific protein on the surface of prostate cancer cells. The protein detects this enzyme in the body, and the isotope works as a signal beacon, indicating the location of the tumor on the scanner,” explained the project manager, an engineer at the Oncotheranostics Center. Tomsk Polytechnic University, Senior Researcher of the Department of Radionuclide Therapy and Diagnostics of the Research Institute of Oncology of the Tomsk National Medical Research Center Roman Zelchan.
The new drug will increase the availability of nuclear medicine for the Russian population, the scientists emphasized. According to them, the development is focused on use in combination with single-photon emission computed tomography, installations for which are available in almost any city. -type=»ar16x9″ data-crop-ratio=»0.5625″ data-crop-width=»600″ data-crop-height=»338″ data-source-sid=»not_rian_photo» class=»» />
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«The drug in the form of a solution is injected intravenously, and two hours later a tomography is performed. It accumulates quite intensively and specifically in the primary tumor of the prostate gland and its metastases. The composition is non-toxic and is completely eliminated from the body in a few hours,» Zelchan said.
< br />The new drug is several times cheaper than analogs based on gallium or fluorine isotopes, and it is also easier to manufacture, which allows it to be mass-produced, the creators said. According to scientists, it may be in demand in many countries in Asia and Africa where PET is not widely used.
The first phase of clinical trials of the drug has started at the Oncology Research Institute of the Tomsk National Research Medical Center. According to experts, the drug may be ready for clinical use by the end of 2023.
Work on the development of a line of domestic radiopharmaceuticals for the diagnosis and treatment of oncological diseases is being carried out at the Tomsk Polytechnic University with the support of the Priority-2030 program of the Russian Ministry of Education and Science as part of the strategic Health Engineering project.