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Lawson research to seek isotope shortage solutions
The funding, part of $5.4 million from the funding competition through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) announced last June by the federal government, is in response to the Chalk River shut down and a strain on production of radioactive isotopes used to diagnose diseases including cancer. Called the Open Grants Alternative Radiopharmaceuticals for Medical Imaging Competition, the money is funding seven projects across Canada, providing $5.4 million for projects which will seek non-nuclear reactor technology alternatives to address the shortage of Technetium-99m - an isotope commonly used in medical imaging procedures. The Lawson research will be headed up by scientist Pamela Zabel, and will be proceeding with the validation and clinical testing of a new product patented through Lawson's Business Development Office, now a part of WORLDiscoveriesTM. The product is a modified Technetium-99m formulation optimized for use in the diagnosis and monitoring of the spread of breast cancer through a medical procedure known as sentinel node imaging. Zabel, scientist at Lawson and assistant professor of Medical Imaging at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at The University of Western Ontario and Muriel Brackstone, scientist at Lawson and assistant professor of Oncology at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry will receive $541,339 over two years for their project, "Seventy-to-Ninety Percent Reduction of Tc-99m Required for Breast Cancer Lymphoscintigraphy." In the procedure, a lymph node biopsy removes lymph node tissue and is examined under a microscope to determine if cancer has spread from its original site. This will allow for appropriate patient management and will potentially eliminate the need to remove of all the lymph nodes in the area reducing the risk and severity of the biopsy procedure. Lymph node detection is considered clinical priority for use of the Technetium-99m isotope when a shortage occurs. The product typically used for sentinel node imaging and detection is not of optimal size and requires a filtration step that wastes seventy to ninety percent of the radioactivity. The new Technetium-99m formulation that scientists have discovered and patented exhibits optimal size for lymph node detection and does not require filtration. The funding, along with guidance from Health Canada, will assist in the validation and clinical testing of this product as a safe and efficacious product for Canadian cancer patients. The product may also eventually prove useful as an alternative to other Technetium-99m formulations used in other clinical procedures including liver, spleen and bone marrow imaging. It is hoped this work will lead to more efficient use of the isotope Technetium-99m during a shortage and will provide less waste for breast cancer and other imaging procedures. "CIHR is pleased to support researchers Zabel and Brackstone as well as all the other successful applicants," said Dr. Morag Park, Scientific Director for the Institute of Cancer Research, part of CIHR. "Pursuing discovery in this area will ensure that Canadians can receive timely cancer screening and treatment services into the future," he said. Other projects that Lawson researchers are successfully involved with include the BC Cancer Agency and TRUIMF, and The University of Ottawa Heart Institute. Lawson scientist, Mike Kovacs will work with the BC Cancer Agency and TRUIMF, receiving $1.3 million over two years for the project entitled, "Cyclotron-based production of Technetium radioisotopes." This project will determine if medical isotopes produced from cyclotrons are a viable alternative to isotopes produced by nuclear reactors. Lawson scientist, Gerry Wisenberg will work with The University of Ottawa Heart Institute, receiving $1.1 million over two years for the project entitled, "Rubidium-82 - An Alternative Radiopharmaceutical for Myocardial Imaging (Rb-ARMI)." This project will develop and test new radioactive tracers for their use in diagnosing heart disease. It will help to fast track production and distribution quickly across Canada. |
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