The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) has successfully obtained a grant of $1.62 million from the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) to spearhead a project aimed at developing innovative treatments for aggressive brain cancers. This funding is part of the 2024 Brain Cancer Discovery and Translation program, under the auspices of the Australian Brain Cancer Mission, which is committed to improving outcomes for individuals affected by brain cancer.
The four-year project, titled Targeting Glioma with Precision Radiotherapy and Biochemical Dose Amplification, is focused on advancing Neutron Capture Enhanced Particle Therapy (NCEPT) specifically for challenging brain tumors such as glioblastoma and diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG). These cancers currently have limited effective treatment options, and the initiative seeks to enhance therapeutic effectiveness while minimizing side effects and reducing the necessity for Australians to seek advanced particle therapy abroad.
Dr Mitra Safavi-Naeini, leading the project, expressed excitement about the grant, stating, “This grant is a turning point for our team. It recognizes that nuclear science, accelerators, radiobiology, and radiopharmaceuticals are now central to how we design the next generation of cancer treatments for patients and families sitting in oncology clinics.” This marks the first occasion ANSTO has been awarded an MRFF grant as the lead institution, signifying a growing recognition of nuclear science’s role in enhancing health and medical research in Australia.
Collaboration and Research Framework
The initiative comprises three coordinated research streams, all under the guidance of Dr Safavi-Naeini. The preclinical radiobiology stream is led by Nicholas Howell and Dr Frederic Sierro. The medicinal chemistry and radiopharmaceutical development is overseen by Dr Chris Dobie and Professor Giancarlo Pascali, while treatment planning and modeling is directed by Dr Klaudiusz Jakubowski in conjunction with Dr Safavi-Naeini.
This collaborative effort unites physicists, chemists, radiobiologists, clinicians, health economists, and consumer advocates from ANSTO, various Australian universities, and international particle therapy experts. The integration of these diverse scientific disciplines aims to propel NCEPT from laboratory concepts to clinical trials, in alignment with the Australian Brain Cancer Mission’s overarching goal of doubling survival rates and improving the quality of life for those living with brain cancer.
Addressing Brain Cancer Challenges
With approximately 2,000 Australians diagnosed with brain cancer annually, the survival rate has stagnated at around 23-24%, in stark contrast to survival rates exceeding 70% for many other cancers. Brain cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related death in children in Australia, with specific conditions like DIPG yielding a dismal five-year survival rate of merely 2%.
Traditional radiotherapy may control visible tumors, yet it often fails to eliminate infiltrating cancer cells that extend into healthy brain tissue, leading to relapses. Increasing radiation doses poses risks of permanent neurological damage, particularly in pediatric patients. Dr Safavi-Naeini highlighted this challenge, stating, “In glioblastoma and DIPG, we hit what clinicians sometimes call the ‘geometry wall’; we can see and treat the bulk tumor, but the disease has already spread beyond what our scans can reliably define.”
The NCEPT project aims to address these limitations by developing a novel approach that combines precision particle beams—such as protons or carbon ions—with tumor-seeking neutron capture drugs that amplify the radiation dose specifically within cancer cells. During therapy, the primary particle beam generates thermal neutrons in and around the tumor. The neutron capture agents target tumor cells, releasing highly localized radiation that can effectively destroy cancer cells even beyond the primary treatment area.
Research conducted by ANSTO scientists has shown that incorporating neutron capture agents during ion beam irradiation can enhance cancer cell destruction by a factor of three to five in laboratory settings, as well as significantly delay tumor growth in experimental models.
Dr Safavi-Naeini summarized the dual-action approach, stating, “In simple terms, the particle beam delivers the first punch, and the neutron capture drug delivers the second punch exactly where the cancer cells are hiding. The goal is to increase tumor control while reducing the dose—and therefore, the damage to healthy brain.”
This project exemplifies the collaborative spirit necessary for innovation in cancer treatment, as Dr Safavi-Naeini noted, “This kind of project only works when you put physicists, chemists, radiobiologists, oncologists, and families in the same room. MRFF funding lets us do that at scale, and it sends a clear signal that Australia wants to lead—not follow—in brain cancer innovation.”
