Speaker
Dr
Nicoletta Protti
(National Institute of Nuclear Physics INFN, Pavia Unit)
Description
AD is a form of neurodegenerative amyloidosis associated to an abnormal production of insoluble aggregates of Aβ protein which deposit in the brain as senile plaques. The aging of world population is expected to increase AD cases implying huge socio-economical costs and heightens the concern about the lack of therapeutic tools.
The effectiveness of External Beam RadioTherapy (EBRT) in the treatment of TracheoBronchial Amyloidosis (TBA) was described in the 1990’s, suggesting EBRT application to AD. A physico-chemical, DNA-independent process of Aβ aggregates depolymerisation by low dose, long term fractionated radiotherapy was suggested to match the brain tolerance.
Boron-NCT is a radiotherapy based on the nuclear capture reaction induced by low energy neutrons on 10B isotope, emitting two high LET secondary charged particles, an alpha particle and a 7Li recoil ion. Thanks to their short ranges in water (<10 μm), the damages are localized within the 10B loaded cell, allowing a selective treatment of diffused or infiltrating tumors. Similarly, GdNCT is based on the dose deposited selectively by the Auger electrons emitted after thermal neutron capture on 157Gd. In this case, the minimum ranges are of few tens of nm.
Pure or 10B-enriched water solutions of Bovine Serum Albumin and Aβ were irradiated using standard radioactive sources or the thermal neutron field of Pavia research nuclear reactor. Some preliminary results of these studies will be presented.
Primary author
Dr
Nicoletta Protti
(National Institute of Nuclear Physics INFN, Pavia Unit)
