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,3 Brussels, 26 June 2002 )LJKW DJDLQVW FDQFHU (8 UHVHDUFK GHYHORSV FDQFHU NLOOLQJLVRWRSHV +LJKO\ SURPLVLQJ UHVXOWV IURP FOLQLFDO WULDOV LQGLFDWH WKDW DOSKDHPLWWLQJ UDGLRLVRWRSHVFDQNLOOFDQFHUFHOOV7KH&RPPLVVLRQ¶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³0RUH UHVHDUFKLV QHHGHG EXW H[SHUWV WHOO XV WKDW WKH UHVXOWV IURP SUHFOLQLFDO DQG ILUVW FOLQLFDO WULDOV DUH SURPLVLQJ 6HDUFKDQGGHVWUR\LVRWRSHVVKRXOGEHKHOSIXOLQILJKWLQJDJUHDWQXPEHURI FDQFHUV VXFK DV OHXNDHPLD O\PSKRPD KDHPDWRORJLFDO PDOLJQDQFLHV PLFURVFRSLF LQWUDSHULWRQHDOO\ JURZLQJ FDQFHUV HJ RYDULDQ VWRPDFK JOLREODVWRPD DQG SRVWRSHUDWLYH WUHDWPHQW RI JOLRPD PHODQRPDV FRORQ WXPRXUV P\HORPD DQG SDOOLDWLYH WUHDWPHQW RI PDOLJQDQW DVFLWHV 0XOWL GLVFLSOLQDU\ FRRSHUDWLRQV EHWZHHQ (XURSH¶V EHVW WHDPV DUH QHHGHG WR DGYDQFHWKLVLQQRYDWLYHDSSURDFK&DQFHULVDNH\SULRULW\LQWKH(8¶VQH[W UHVHDUFKSURJUDPPHWREHODXQFKHGODWHUWKLV\HDU´ One of the key targets of the European Commission’s Sixth Framework programme for Research and Development (2003-2006) is "Combating cancer". Altogether just over ¼ELOOLRQLVHDUPDUNHGIRUFRPEDWLQJPDMRUGLVHDVHVRIZKLFKDWOHDVW¼ million should go to cancer research. The objective is to develop better strategies, from prevention to diagnosis and treatment, for fighting cancer. EU research will concentrate on translating the new knowledge being created by genomics and other fields of basic research into applications that improve clinical practice and public health. As far as research on cancer-killing isotopes is concerned, currently only two organisations world-wide are able to produce such isotopes: the European Commission’s Institute for Transuranium Elements (a branch of the JRC) and the Oak Ridge National Laboratories in the US. Both the recent results obtained in clinical studies, using bismuth-213 to combat acute myeloid leukaemia, and the first evaluations of the direct use of actinium-225, point to the right direction. Whereas the first isotope emits only one alpha particle during its decay, the latter has a decay chain with 4 alpha particles and could be much more efficient, at least when its full potential can be exploited. At the highest dosage level used (up to100 mCi bismuth-213), no acute toxicity was observed. This breakthrough opens the way for accepting the analyses of other alpha-emitters in a clinical setting also. The Commission has supported pioneering work at the Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum (DKFZ) and the Kantonspital of Basel, where the first patients were treated for Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and glioblastoma respectively. To date, 37 patients in the US have been treated with bismuth 213 or astatine 211 and 11 patients in Europe. Other very promising studies on treating melanoma using local antibody conjugated bismuth-213 injection foster scientific understanding and several hypotheses on the operating mechanisms of alpha-damage can therefore be validated. As the use of highly radiotoxic alpha-emitting isotopes is not currently common practice in hospitals, strict requirements need to be respected to allow the large-scale application of this technology. State-of-the art genomics and proteomics are expected to provide a sound understanding of the governing processes in the application of alpha-emitters and other radioactive isotopes. Such details will help not only in combating cancer, but also in understanding how low-level radiation exposure effects the human genetic makeup. The hope is to produce a patient-tailored drug and/or therapy design in the future, through studying the specific features of particular diseases and their genetic expression. For further information, please visit http://itu.jrc.cec.eu.int/ 2