Research and Education Newsletter v35- Internal - Flipbook - Page 16
Division of Radiation Oncology Annual Research and Education Newsletter: Fiscal Year 2020
Launching Nanomedicine in
Radiation Therapy
The Division of Radiation Oncology has partnered with Nanobiotix, a nanotechnology company, to test the safety
and efficacy of NBTXR3, a radio enhancer that could potentially boost the effects of radiation therapy.
STRATEGIC ALLIANCE
Image courtesy of Nanobiotix
NBTXR3 is made up of hafnium oxide nanoparticles that are
injected into the tumor before radiation treatment. When
irradiated, these nanoparticles enhance the radiation dose to
aggressively destroy the tumor while causing little damage to the
surrounding tissue. This drug is still in testing stages and will be
piloted in phase I and II studies for multiple disease sites including
head and neck, lung, esophagus, and the pancreas.
Zhongxing Liao, M.D. is leading this effort as the alliance principal
investigator. With her vision of an efficient and productive
academia-industry strategic collaboration, the possibility of a new
treatment option is within reach. “The goal, in partnership with
our sponsor, is to demonstrate the efficacy of NBTXR3 to improve
tumor control in selected hard-to-treat cancers, and to work
toward a new treatment option for our patients.”
NBTXR3 pancreatic cancer trial underway
Pancreatic cancer is a major focus of research in the
gastrointestinal (GI) section of radiation oncology. This type of
cancer has a low survival rate (general 5-year survival rate is less
than 10%) and few effective therapies.
Eugene Koay, M.D., Ph.D., a physician scientist in the GI section, is
exploring new ways to treat this deadly disease. “If there’s anything
that we can do to improve the responses of pancreatic cancer to
radiation therapy or chemotherapy, we know those are the first
studies that we need to support and be engaged in,” Koay says.
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The primary objective of this phase I trial is to evaluate the safety
and feasibility of NBTXR3 intratumoral injection and subsequent
activation with radiotherapy. The secondary objective of this study
is to evaluate the effectiveness of this treatment.
“We know that the major pathological response rate is associated
with better long-term outcomes in terms of survival so if we can
improve that response rate and show that this is a safe treatment,
this could be a major improvement in the long term for patients
with pancreatic cancer,” explains Koay. “The major pathological
response rate is a measurement of how many tumor cells are
eliminated by treatment. A successful response rate is indicated by
showing less than 5% tumor cells viable after treatment.”
The pancreas, located in the middle of the body, is surrounded
by delicate tissue that is at risk for damage during radiation
treatments. For this reason, it is challenging to give higher doses
of radiation therapy without affecting the surrounding areas. By
studying NBTXR3, radiation oncologists may be able to enhance
the local effect of radiation therapy to improve patient outcomes.
“That’s what gets us excited about delivering higher doses of
radiation for pancreatic cancer. We’ve observed that patients with
pancreatic cancer seem to live longer when we are able to safely
escalate the dose,” says Koay. “If radiation therapy along with
NBTXR3 is proven to work in safely eliminating tumors, then this
could be a major breakthrough in pancreatic cancer treatment and
survival outcomes.”