Abstract
α-Particle irradiation of cancerous tissue is increasingly recognized as a potent therapeutic option. We briefly review the physics, radiobiology, and dosimetry of α-particle emitters, as well as the distinguishing features that make them unique for radiopharmaceutical therapy. We also review the emerging clinical role of α-particle therapy in managing cancer and recent studies on in vitro and preclinical α-particle therapy delivered by antibodies, other small molecules, and nanometer-sized particles. In addition to their unique radiopharmaceutical characteristics, the increased availability and improved radiochemistry of α-particle radionuclides have contributed to the growing recent interest in α-particle radiotherapy. Targeted therapy strategies have presented novel possibilities for the use of α-particles in the treatment of cancer. Clinical experience has already demonstrated the safe and effective use of α-particle emitters as potent tumor-selective drugs for the treatment of leukemia and metastatic disease.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 73-93 |
Number of pages | 21 |
Journal | Annual Review of Biomedical Engineering |
Volume | 20 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jun 4 2018 |
Keywords
- actinium-225
- nanoparticles
- radioimmunotherapy
- radium-223
- targeted therapy
- α-particle
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Medicine (miscellaneous)
- Biomedical Engineering