[ RadSafe ] International Symposium on Trends in
Radiopharmaceuticals
Marcel Schouwenburg
M.Schouwenburg at TNW.TUDelft.NL
Mon May 23 16:00:12 CEST 2005
International Symposium on Trends in Radiopharmaceuticals
14 - 18 November 2005
Vienna, Austria
Announcement and Call for Papers
1. INTRODUCTION
Radiopharmaceuticals, along with imaging instrumentation, are the
pillars that support the edifice of clinical nuclear medicine and the
former is the major driver enabling investigations of molecular
phenomena for better understanding of human disease and developing
effective treatments. The growth of nuclear medicine has been intimately
linked to availability of new radioisotopes and the discovery of new
radiopharmaceuticals. The field of radiopharmaceuticals has witnessed
continuous evolution thanks to the immense contributions of scientists
from diverse disciplines such as radiochemistry, inorganic chemistry,
organic chemistry, biochemistry, physiology and pharmacology. Several
milestones can be cited in the trajectory of this growth, which include
continuing development of a plethora of 99mTc radiopharmaceuticals,
automated synthesis of 18F labelled compounds, labelled peptides for
accurate mapping of metastasis and the advances in radionuclide therapy.
The International Symposium on Trends in Radiopharmaceuticals,
ISTR-2005, under the auspices of International Atomic Energy Agency,
will provide scientists and professionals working in the field of
radiopharmaceuticals and related sciences an opportunity to review the
exciting developments in the field. The International Atomic Energy
Agency has been organizing such Symposia on Radiopharmaceuticals since
1973 and the last one was held in Lisbon, Portugal, in 1998.
2. BACKGROUND
The field of technetium radiopharmaceutical chemistry has grown at an
accelerated pace in the last decade thanks to new chemistries such as
the nitrido, carbonyl and hynic together with the synthesis of several
novel ligands fitting to these chemistries. These pioneering studies are
making the anthropogenic element technetium the most explored metal ion
for its complexation behaviour. Several new 99mTc radiopharmaceuticals
continue to be developed, aiming for greater efficacy in exploring
biochemistry in vivo and introducing accuracy of diagnosis of metastatic
cancer to lead to greater objectivity in medical decisions.
The cyclotron, originally developed for nuclear physics research, has
been simplified for the benefit of increasing medical applications,
being the ideal source for many short-lived, neutron-deficient
radioisotopes, and is today a versatile tool in the hands of the
radiopharmaceutical scientists. There is a significant growth in the
installation of new cyclotrons to cater to the production of
radionuclides for medical applications and interesting developments are
taking place through the development of better cyclotron targetry,
radiochemical processing methods and automated chemistry modules. The
short half-life of most of these radioisotopes makes it essential that
the process be automated, starting from irradiation all the way to the
final dispensing stage, such that the final radiopharmaceutical
formulation is compliant with the codes of Good Manufacturing Practices
(cGMP). There is a continuing need to evolve appropriate guidelines of
cGMP for radiopharmaceuticals, due to the conflicting requirements for
handling radioactivity and formulating products for intravenous
administration.
The most spectacular development is undoubtedly the advances in the
synthesis of 18F labelled fluoro deoxy glucose (FDG), opening a new
avenue in nuclear medicine, namely the regular clinical use of positron
emission tomography (PET). Initially developed for studying glucose
metabolism in vivo, especially to map the regional cerebral functions
under various conditions, today 18FDG is the most useful clinical PET
tracer for the detection, staging, treatment planning and management of
cancer. Research into other 18F labelled molecules, including peptides
and agents for tracking gene therapy, has resulted in several new
radiopharmaceuticals. The quest for newer and more specific 18F labelled
radiopharmaceuticals keeps PET chemists busy the world over. The work on
other short-lived PET radionuclides, mainly 11C and to a lesser extent
15O, is also continuing, despite the logistical problems due to their
short half-lives.
The radiohalogens play a pivotal role in the growth of nuclear medicine
by the continued use of iodine isotopes such as 131I, 123I, 124I for
diagnosis and therapy. Strategies to increase the availability of 123I
products are important for clinical nuclear medicine practices. The
bromine and astatine isotopes are being vigorously explored for
establishing their utility in clinical nuclear medicine. The use of the
short-lived SPECT isotopes such as 201Tl, 111In and 67Ga is continuing
to grow for diagnostic imaging starting from myocardial studies to
tumour and infection imaging.
One of the challenges in the coming years will be to take advantage of
the potentials of radiolabelled peptides to formulate clinically useful
radiopharmaceuticals. Peptide receptors have been found to represent
excellent targets for in vivo cancer diagnosis and therapy.
Recent in vitro studies have shown that many cancers can over-express
not just one but several peptide receptors concomitantly. This presents
a basis for starting and/or optimizing the in vivo targeting of tumours
by selecting suitable radiopeptides initially for tumour diagnosis and
later with appropriate radionuclides for therapy as well.
In addition, nuclear medicine is being transformed from a non-invasive
diagnostic methodology to a powerful therapeutic modality. There
continues to be growth in the use of 131I for cost effective treatment
of hyperthyroidism and metastatic thyroid cancer. Radiopharmaceuticals
such as 89SrCl2, 153Sm-EDTMP and 186Re-HEDP are increasingly used in
many centres as cost effective bone pain palliative agents. The use of
131I-mIBG and 131I/188Re labelled lipiodol continues to attract
attention, with growing medical interest in neuro-endocrine tumours and
extensive difficulties with liver cancer, respectively. There is great
excitement in the prospect of very specific therapeutic targeting with
radiolabelled peptides with radionuclides such as 90Y, 186/188Re and
177Lu. Generator produced radionuclides offer a new dimension to
availability of therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals. Non-conventional
applications include synoviorthesis using radiopharmaceuticals labelled
with beta particle emitting radioisotopes to improve the quality of life
of patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. Intravascular
radionuclide therapy (IVRNT) for prevention of arterial restenosis
post-percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) is an
attractive alternative to drug eluting stents.
While surgery remains the most effective method for managing cancer,
radiopharmaceuticals play a useful role there too, being the preferred
markers for identifying metastatic lymph nodes and helping surgeons to
achieve better precision in tumour mass excision. Accordingly, a new
modality, radioguided surgery (RIGS), is emerging for use in the
operating theatre.
The major constituent of a radiopharmaceutical is the radionuclide and
the search for new radionuclides to improve the availability of
diagnostic and therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals is continuing. Several
metallic isotopes such as 60/61/62Cu, 68Ga, 86Y and 94Tc are emerging
for PET studies. In view of the promising advances in targeted therapy
for cancer management, the need for therapeutic radioisotopes is
expected to grow manifold. Internalized targeted therapy can be highly
specific in its ability to deliver radiation dose to the tumour and
hence, when the potential of targeted therapy is fully realized, the
demand for radioisotopes for this modality will be huge. Keeping this in
mind, radionuclides that can be produced in abundant quantity are being
explored. 90Y, the daughter of the long-lived fission product 90Sr, and
177Lu, which can be produced by (n,ã) activation of 176Lu, are the two
isotopes which can meet such large demands. Efforts are being made to
develop new production routes and radiochemical processing methods, as
well as radionuclide generator technologies, to effectively bridge the
gap between demand and supply.
A review of the radiopharmaceuticals field would be incomplete without a
discussion about centralized radiopharmacy practices. There is a
continuing need to formulate radiopharmaceuticals cost effectively and
to a high standard of consistent quality. There is need for improvements
in the systems for dispensing of PET and therapeutic
radiopharmaceuticals. This symposium will focus on practices and
facilities for greater pharmaceutical safety and better radiation hygiene.
The exciting developments in all the above areas in the
radiopharmaceuticals field are contributing to transforming nuclear
medicine to a preferred modality for diagnosis and therapy of many
diseases not only in developed countries but also in most developing
nations.
3. TOPICS
The symposium will cover developments in the entire spectrum of
radiopharmaceuticals chemistry, including radionuclide production,
radiochemical processing, manufacturing and quality control of
radiopharmaceuticals, latest advances in radiopharmaceuticals research,
GMP and regulatory aspects, etc.
The IAEA welcomes high quality contributions on the following topics.
Radionuclide production and synthesis of radiopharmaceuticals
Novel technetium chemistry and radiopharmaceuticals
Flourine-18 and iodine-123 based radiopharmaceuticals and automation
of synthesis
Other radiohalogens and metallic nuclides for PET
Carbon-11 radiopharmaceuticals and other short-lived PET tracers
Therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals
Molecular biology based radiopharmaceuticals
Pharmacology and dosimetry of radiopharmaceuticals
Codes of GMP for radiopharmaceuticals
Centralized radiopharmacies
Regulatory aspects
Indigenous capacity building in radiopharmaceuticals
It is expected that the symposium will stimulate international exchange
of information and ideas that will contribute to further enhancing the
growth of developmental opportunities in nuclear medicine in general and
in radiopharmaceutical chemistry in particular.
4. PAPERS AND POSTERS
Concise papers on issues falling within the topics outlined in Section 3
above may be submitted as contributions to the symposium. All papers,
apart from invited review papers, must present original work; they
should not have been published elsewhere.
(a) Submission of synopses
Persons who wish to present a paper or poster at the symposium must
submit an extended synopsis (in English) together with the completed
Form for Submission of a Paper (Form B) and the Participation Form (Form
A) to the competent national authority for official transmission to the
IAEA in time for them to be received by the IAEA by 31 May 2005. In
addition, the synopsis should be sent electronically to the Scientific
Secretariat, email: istr2005 at iaea.org .
Authors are urged to make use of the following Extended Synopsis
Template in Word 2000:
To download the template, right-click on the icon to the left and
select "Save Target As" from the menu. The corresponding Winzip archive
contains the template.
The specifications and instructions for preparing the synopsis and how
to use the synopsis template are given in the attached "Instructions on
how to prepare the extended synopsis and how to submit it
electronically". Attached to this announcement is a sample extended
synopsis.
The synopsis will be considered by the Programme Committee only if the
Participation Form A and Paper Submission Form B have been received by
the IAEA through the official governmental channels.
(b) Acceptance of papers/posters
Authors will be informed whether their paper has been accepted by the
Programme Committee on the basis of the extended synopsis submitted. At
the same time authors will be advised if their paper has been accepted
for oral presentation or for presentation as a poster. Furthermore, they
will receive guidelines for the preparation of papers and will be
informed of the deadlines for their submission, the assigned paper
number and the session of presentation. The accepted synopses will be
reproduced in unedited form in the Book of Extended Synopses.
(c) Proceedings
It is intended to publish papers presented at the symposium in a special
issue of an international journal (subject to peer review). Further
details will be provided after the extended synopses have been reviewed.
The IAEA reserves the right to refuse the presentation or publication of
any paper that does not meet the expectations raised by the information
originally given in the extended synopsis.
5. PARTICIPATION
All persons wishing to participate in the symposium must send a
completed Participation Form (Form A) to the competent official
authority (Ministry of Foreign Affairs or national atomic energy
authority) for subsequent transmission to the IAEA. A participant will
be accepted only if the Participation Form is transmitted through the
competent official authority of a Member State of the IAEA or by an
organization invited to participate.
Participants whose official nomination has been received by the IAEA
will receive further information on the symposium approximately two to
three months before the meeting. This information will also be posted on
the symposium web page:
http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/Meetings/Announcements.asp?ConfID=130
6. EXPENDITURES
No registration fee is charged to participants.
As a general rule, the IAEA does not pay for participants' travel and
living expenses. However, limited funds are available to help meet the
cost of attendance of selected specialists, mainly those from developing
countries with low economic resources. Generally not more than one
travel grant may be awarded to any one country. Persons wishing to apply
for a travel grant must send the Grant Application Form C -- typewritten
or clearly printed -- through their appropriate government authority
(see Section 10), together with the Participation Form and, if relevant,
the Form for Submission of a Paper, to reach the IAEA at the latest by
31 May 2005. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered. The
grants will be lump sums usually covering only part of the cost of
attendance.
7. EXHIBITION
A limited amount of space will be available for commercial vendors'
displays/exhibits during the symposium. Interested parties should
contact the Scientific Secretariat.
8. WORKING LANGUAGE
The working language of the meeting will be English. All communications,
synopses, abstracts and papers must be sent to the IAEA in English.
9. DISTRIBUTION OF DOCUMENTS
A preliminary programme of the symposium will be sent to the
participants before the meeting.
The final programme and the Book of Extended Synopses will be
distributed at registration.
10. ACCOMMODATION
Detailed information on accommodation and other items will be sent
directly to all designated participants approximately two to three
months before the meeting.
11. VISA
Designated participants who require a visa to enter Austria should
submit the necessary application to the nearest diplomatic or consular
representative of Austria as soon as possible. Please note that Austria
is a Schengen State and therefore persons who require a visa will have
to apply for a 'Schengen visa' at least 14 days before entry into
Austria. In States where Austria has no diplomatic mission, visas can be
obtained from the consular authority of a Schengen Partner State
representing Austria in the country in question. At present the Schengen
States are: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece,
Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden.
12. CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION
The Participation Form (Form A), the Form for Submission of a Paper
(Form B), together with two copies of each synopsis, and, if applicable,
the Grant Application Form (Form C), should be sent to the competent
official authority (Ministry of Foreign Affairs or national atomic
energy authority) for transmission to the IAEA.
Subsequent correspondence on scientific matters should be sent to the
Scientific Secretaries and correspondence on administrative matters to
the IAEA Conference Services Section.
13. SYMPOSIUM WEB PAGE
Please visit the IAEA symposium web page regularly for new information
regarding this symposium:
http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/Meetings/Announcements.asp?ConfID=130.
14. SYMPOSIUM SECRETARIAT
Scientific Secretariat of the Conference:
Mr. M.R.A. Pillai
Division of Physical and Chemical Sciences
International Atomic Energy Agency
P.O. Box 100
Wagramer Strasse 5
A-1400 Vienna, Austria
Telephone No.: (+43 1) 2600 21746
Telefax No.: (+43 1) 2600 7
E-mail: m.r.a.pillai at iaea.org
E-mail address for paper submission: Istr2005 at iaea.org
Mr. K. K. Solanki
Division of Human Health
International Atomic Energy Agency
P.O. Box 100
Wagramer Strasse 5
A-1400 Vienna, Austria
Telephone No.: (+43 1) 2600 21676
Telefax No.: (+43 1) 2600 7
E-mail: k.solanki at iaea.org
Administration and organization:
Ms. R. Perricos
Division of Conference and Document Services
Conference Service Section
IAEA-CN-130
International Atomic Energy Agency
P.O. Box 100
Wagramer Strasse 5
A-1400 Vienna, Austria
Telephone No.:
Telefax No.:
E-mail: R.Perricos at iaea.org
Ms. K. Morrison
Division of Conference and Document Services
Conference Service Section
IAEA-CN-130
International Atomic Energy Agency
P.O. Box 100
Wagramer Strasse 5
A-1400 Vienna, Austria
Telephone No.:
Telefax No.:
E-mail: K.Morrison at iaea.org
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Marcel Schouwenburg - RadSafe moderator & List owner
Head Training Centre Delft
National Centre for Radiation Protection (Dutch abbr. NCSV)
Faculty of Applied Sciences / Reactor Institute Delft
Delft University of Technology
Mekelweg 15
NL - 2629 JB DELFT
The Netherlands
Phone +31 (0)15 27 86575
Fax +31 (0)15 27 81717
email m.schouwenburg at tnw.tudelft.nl
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