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Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
The National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology – OncoRay is receiving around 1.1 million euros in funding from the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space under the program “Nuclear Safety and Radiation Research” for the joint project MEDABIS-PRO. The funding will be provided for a period of four years, shared between the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) and the Carl Gustav Carus Faculty of Medicine at TUD Dresden University of Technology.
The project MEDABIS-PRO (“Effects of magnetic fields on dose delivery and biological radiation in MRI-guided proton therapy”) lies at the intersection of imaging, radiation physics, biology and clinical translation. It aims to elucidate questions related to MR-integrated proton therapy (MRiPT) and to drive the development of this innovative method forward. Further stated goals of the funding program include maintaining expertise and promoting junior researchers in the field of radiation research.
MRiPT is seen as a promising technological development in radiation oncology. It combines high-precision proton therapy with the excellent soft-tissue contrast of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Unlike conventional x-ray-based imaging methods, MRI does not cause additional radiation exposure and can therefore be used to improve targeting accuracy by performing real-time imaging of moving tumors during radiotherapy. However, the magnetic field of the MRI scanner – specifically its strength and orientation relative to the beam axis – affects the motion of charged particles and thus the dose distribution in the tissue. In order to ensure that tumors are targeted with high precision despite the influence of the MR magnetic field, the deflection of the particles must be accurately characterized.
Unique research infrastructure enables new insights
In 2024, a world-first research prototype for a whole-body MRI system for MRiPT was installed at OncoRay. It has a rotatable magnet that allows users to adjust the orientation of the magnetic field relative to the beam direction – to date, a unique feature for research on MRiPT.
MEDABIS-PRO will systematically analyze the effects of different magnetic field orientations and field strengths on the propagation of proton beams and their secondary particles. For studying radiation physics, both computer simulations and measurements on phantoms will be performed. In addition, for the first time biophysical and radiation biology experiments using proton beams will be conducted in an MRI scanner to investigate the potential impact of the magnetic field on the biological effects of radiation.
“We would like to thank the BMFTR for the generous funding that allows us to conduct a variety of interesting physical-technical experiments as well as the first radiobiological studies in an in-beam MRI system,” explains Dr. Felix Horst, coordinator of the collaboration and project head at HZDR.
“The knowledge gained from MEDABIS-PRO will contribute to the continued development of MRiPT and its application in the context of clinical studies,” emphasizes Prof. Esther Troost, Director of the Department of Radiation Therapy and Radio-Oncology at University Hospital Dresden Carl Gustav Carus, and project leader for the Faculty of Medicine at TUD.
MEDABIS-PRO will be one of several building blocks on the path to optimal implementation of MRI-guided proton therapy – with the aim of making patients’ cancer treatment even more precise, effective, and tolerable in the future.
Foto: Logo - With funding from BMFTR ©Copyright: BMFTR
The project outlined in this press release is funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (grant number 02NUK108).
Additional information:
Dr. Felix Horst | Joint Project Coordinator MEDABIS-PRO
Institute of Radiooncology – OncoRay at HZDR
Phone: +49 351 458 7437 | Email: felix.horst@oncoray.de
Prof. Esther Troost
Director of the Department of Radiation Therapy and Radio-Oncology at Carl Gustav Carus University Hospital in Dresden
Dean of the Carl Gustav Carus Medical Faculty at TU Dresden
Head of Image-Guided Radiooncology at HZDR (Institute of Radiooncology – OncoRay)
Phone : +49 351 458 23 94 | Email: esther.troost@uniklinikum-dresden.de
Media contact:
Simon Schmitt | Head
Communications and Media Relations at HZDR
Phone: +49 351 260 3400 | Mobile: +49 175 874 2865 | Email: s.schmitt@hzdr.de
Anne-Stephanie Vetter | Staff Unit Public Relations of Carl Gustav Carus Faculty of Medicine at TUD Dresden University of Technology
Phone: +49 351 458 17903 | Email: anne-stephanie.vetter@tu-dresden.de
www.tu-dresden.de/med
The Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) performs – as an independent German research center – research in the fields of energy, health, and matter. We focus on answering the following questions:
• How can energy and resources be utilized in an efficient, safe, and sustainable way?
• How can malignant tumors be more precisely visualized, characterized, and more effectively treated?
• How do matter and materials behave under the influence of strong fields and in smallest dimensions?
To help answer these research questions, HZDR operates large-scale facilities, which are also used by visiting researchers: the Ion Beam Center, the Dresden High Magnetic Field Laboratory and the ELBE Center for High-Power Radiation Sources.
HZDR is a member of the Helmholtz Association and has six sites (Dresden, Freiberg, Görlitz, Grenoble, Leipzig, Schenefeld near Hamburg) with almost 1,500 members of staff, of whom about 700 are scientists, including 200 Ph.D. candidates.
Dr. Felix Horst | Joint Project Coordinator MEDABIS-PRO
Institute of Radiooncology – OncoRay at HZDR
Phone: +49 351 458 7437 | Email: felix.horst@oncoray.de
Prof. Esther Troost
Director of the Department of Radiation Therapy and Radio-Oncology at Carl Gustav Carus University Hospital in Dresden
Dean of the Carl Gustav Carus Medical Faculty at TU Dresden
Head of Image-Guided Radiooncology at HZDR (Institute of Radiooncology – OncoRay)
Phone : +49 351 458 23 94 | Email: esther.troost@uniklinikum-dresden.de
https://www.hzdr.de/presse/medabis-pro
Project team with in-beam MRI prototyp (from left: Dr. Felix Horst, Prof. Aswin Hoffmann, PD Dr. Jör ...
Quelle: OncoRay
Copyright: OncoRay
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Project team with in-beam MRI prototyp (from left: Dr. Felix Horst, Prof. Aswin Hoffmann, PD Dr. Jör ...
Quelle: OncoRay
Copyright: OncoRay
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