Page 76 - University of Pretoria Research Review 2017

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Fighting cancer with nuclear therapy
Mike Sathekge, Department of Nuclear Medicine
Targeted alpha therapy (TAT) or alpha radiation is a fairly new approach to cancer treatment that targets specific genes or proteins found in cancer cells,
and thereby stops the cancer from growing and spreading.
Professor Mike Sathekge and a team of researchers
in the Department of Nuclear Medicine and at
the Steve Biko Hospital have, through UP, entered
into a collaborative agreement with the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) to develop
a groundbreaking treatment for cancer patients. The Department of Nuclear Medicine is one of only three platforms in the world that uses targeted alpha therapy or alpha radiation to treat advanced-stage prostate cancer specifically, by using alpha isotopes known as Ac-225-PSMA.
Targeted alpha therapy (TAT) is still extremely expensive and there are strict international security standards regarding its use. This collaboration has enabled the Department of Nuclear Medicine to treat patients
using TAT, which has resulted in an 85% success rate in patients with advanced-stage prostate cancer.
The success of TAT, compared to other radio- immunotherapy treatments such as beta therapy, rests in the ability to kill the cancer cells by causing
Staff members in the Department of Nuclear Medicine
double-strand DNA breaks and DNA cluster breaks
in the cancer. Alpha radiation can thus kill cells which otherwise exhibit resistance to treatment with beta- or gamma-irradiation or chemotherapeutic drugs. TAT offers a therapeutic option for patients resistant to conventional therapies, such as chemotherapy and hormone therapy. Alpha radiation is also advantageous because it has a very short range, specifically targeting cancer cells while sparing healthy tissue.
Patients, particularly those with advanced stage cancer, undergo an imaging process to detect abnormal cells and, depending on the aggressiveness of the cancer, Professor Sathekge and his team are able to determine an appropriate course of radioactive therapy.
Professor Sathekge and his colleagues advocate a multidisciplinary approach to achieve optimal success in treating any form of cancer, from diagnosis through to treatment. The approach, they advocate, should be patient-specific and the course of treatment based on the results obtained from an individualised screening of each patient. The team of experts should include nuclear physicians, oncologists, radiologists, and surgeons working together to determine the best course of treatment for the patient.
The research team: Professor Mike Sathekge, Professor Mariza Vorster, Dr Otto Knoesen, Cindy Davis, Johncy Mahapane, Celia Corbett, Dr Florette Reyneke, Dr Ismaheel Lawal, and
Dr Thabo Lengana.