Evaluating (99m)Tc Auger electrons for targeted tumor radiotherapy by computational methods

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2010

Authors

Tavares, AAS (Author) Other; João Manuel R. S. Tavares (Author) FEUP

Journal

Title: Medical Physics

Vol. 37 No. 7

Pages: 3551-3559

ISSN: 0094-2405

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 12 Citations

Scopus - 18 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-003-5DR

DOI: 10.1118/1.3451117

Abstract (EN): Purpose: Technetium-99m ((99m)Tc) has been widely used as an imaging agent but only recently has been considered for therapeutic applications. This study aims to analyze the potential use of (99m)Tc Auger electrons for targeted tumor radiotherapy by evaluating the DNA damage and its probability of correct repair and by studying the cellular kinetics, following (99m)Tc Auger electron irradiation in comparison to iodine-131 ((131)I) beta minus particles and astatine-211 ((211)At) alpha particle irradiation. Methods: Computational models were used to estimate the yield of DNA damage (fast Monte Carlo damage algorithm), the probability of correct repair (Monte Carlo excision repair algorithm), and cell kinetic effects (virtual cell radiobiology algorithm) after irradiation with the selected particles. Results: The results obtained with the algorithms used suggested that (99m)Tc CKMMX (all M-shell Coster-Kroning-CK- and super-CK transitions) electrons and Auger MXY (all M-shell Auger transitions) have a therapeutic potential comparable to high linear energy transfer (211)At alpha particles and higher than (131)I beta minus particles. All the other (99m)Tc electrons had a therapeutic potential similar to (131)I beta minus particles. Conclusions: (99m)Tc CKMMX electrons and Auger MXY presented a higher probability to induce apoptosis than (131)I beta minus particles and a probability similar to (211)At alpha particles. Based on the results here, (99m)Tc CKMMX electrons and Auger MXY are useful electrons for targeted tumor radiotherapy. (c) 2010 American Association of Physicists in Medicine. [DOI: 10.1118/1.3451117]

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 9