Increase projected for melanoma case numbers
An estimated 76,250 new cases of melanoma will occur in the US this year, according to the American Cancer Society’s just-released Cancer Facts and Figures 2012. http://www.skincancer.org/news/melanoma/jump-in-melanoma-2012
FPM clinical trial underway at Peter Mac
The CRCBID-sponsored clinical trial into the use of fluoro propyl methionine (FPM) has now studied four patients at Peter Mac.
Approval for the phase 0/1 trial to proceed was given by the Peter Mac Ethics Committee in August 2011, following a first time in human (FTIH) review of the tracer’s manufacturing process.
CRCBID student receives best new investigator award
Jake Shortt, a CRCBID-funded PhD student at Peter Mac/University of Melbourne, was one of two recipients of the Albert Baikie Award at the 2011 Haematology Society of Australian and New Zealand Annual Conference in Sydney in November.
Read more: CRCBID student receives best new investigator award
Customising imaging systems
Working with commercial participant Berthold Australia, CRCBID researchers from University of Melbourne have been developing customised imaging systems that use existing detector technology.
Spotlight on MEL050-a novel tracer for melanoma
This brochure outlines the work of CRCBID in developing the novel radiopharmaceutical tracer, MEL050, which targets melanin in melanoma.
CRC Association - bringing knowledge together
Innovation the key to prosperity
CRCBID’s CEO, Dr Gerry Roe and Director, Greg Santamaria attended a series of functions in Canberra this month held in association with the regular meetings of CRC Chairs and CEOs organised by the CRC Association (CRCA).
CRCBID student wins Uni of Wollongong Trailblazer
Congratulations to CRCBID PhD student, Con Consulato, and Dr Danielle Skopeta, from the University of Wollongong, who recently won the student section of UoW’s Trailblazer competition.
Trailblazer is designed to reward innovative ideas and early-stage research that may offer potential benefit the community, industry or business, as well as generate a financial return.
Read more: CRCBID student wins Uni of Wollongong Trailblazer
MEL050 trial outcomes a positive
CRCBID wins Star Award for work with Cyclotek
In May, CRCBID and Cyclotek (Aust) Pty Ltd were recognised by the CRC Committee for their work together. The Star Award honours "the partnership between the CRC and this SME, (which) enables both organisations to progress new radiopharmaceuticals more quickly through the development pipeline than would otherwise be possible." See Minister Carr's media release here.
Professor Margaret Sheil represented Minister Kim Carr at the presentation of the Star Awards at the CRC Association conference in May, 2011. She presented Greg Santamaria and Dr Gerry Roe with the Award recognising the collaboration of their organisations.
Greg Santamaria said, "We see this Star Award as a recognition not only of Cyclotek’s efforts, but also of the efforts of all of the organisations and people involved in the CRC for Biomedical Imaging Development."
image courtesy Nic Rounsefell Photography
Tracing the spread of melanoma
Melanoma is a deadly form of skin cancer, with about 160,000 newcases diagnosed around the world each year.
Arising from research that began in the laboratories at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) in Sydney, CRCBID researchers have successfully developed a novel radiotracer, known as MEL050, that has the potential to assess the spread of melanoma in patients by targeting melanin in the tumours.
Based on in vitro and pre-clinical imaging work conducted at bothANSTO and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne, papers on the synthesis method for MEL050, and the subsequent pre-clinical imaging results, were published in 2009 and 2010. After appropriate toxicology tests in animals, a first time in humans phase 0/1 clinical trial began at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne in June 2010 and is scheduled for completion in June2011. The trial is sponsored by CRCBID, which successfully steeredthe trial through the rigorous human ethics approval process that is required prior to a clinical trial being conducted.
CRCBID wins Star Award at CRCA Conference for engagement with Cyclotek
Two steps better than one - local brains develop sophisticated outcomes
Making a radiopharmaceutical that will be injected into the human body is a complex procedure. Each step in the production process is carefully designed and measured to make sure the radiopharmaceutical - or tracer as they are more commonly known - can do the important job it is made to do: help in diagnosing and managing the treatment of cancer and other diseases.
To ensure the manufacturing process is as easy, safe and efficient as possible, a new production system has been developed that reduces the level of manual handling of radioactive materials that scientists need to do when making a tracer.
Read more: Two steps better than one - local brains develop sophisticated outcomes
Prototype Non Invasive Arterial Monitoring (NIAM) System
Berthold Australia Pty Ltd, through the research of its CRCBID-funded post-doctoral student, Dr Bryn Sobott, 
is working to develop a clinical prototype system for non-invasive arterial monitoring of PET tracers. This new system is built upon the earlier work of Dr Graeme O’Keefe and Dr Roger Rassool, who pioneered the initial concept.
The prototype NIAM system being developed through CRCBID - image courtesy Bryn Sobott
Read more: Prototype Non Invasive Arterial Monitoring (NIAM) System
International supply of FET for cancer patient
In September, Cyclotek (Aust) Pty Ltd, a commercial partner of the CRC for Biomedical Imaging Development Ltd, provided a radiopharmaceutical tracer for use internationally in a medical procedure. This first-time supply has helped a New Zealand patient with a brain tumour have earlier treatment. The use of the tracer allowed the doctors to more closely identify the location, nature and size of the tumour, when several other high-level neurological diagnostic tests had not provided enough information for a clear treatment plan to proceed
Largest Australian skin cancer study
The Queensland Institute of Medical Research is launching the largest study into skin cancer conducted in Australia.
Current news in biomedical imaging no 1
Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is a unique functional diagnostic imaging tool that sets the standard of care in the modern healthcare sector. It is mainly used to determine the presence and severity of cancers and in clinical practice, it is central to characterising, staging and follow-up for patients with a wide variety of malignancies.
Radiopharm awards
At this year’s Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre’s Annual General Meeting, the Peter Mac PET Centre received the annual team awards for both excellence and innovation. The excellence award recognised clinical and research efforts over many years, and the strong, collaborative partnerships that the PET Centre has built within and beyond Peter Mac. The innovation award related to the team’s involvement in the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies in melanoma. The collaboration with ANSTO and Cyclotek on the work with MEL050 was highlighted as one of the key aspects of this program.
CRCBID research featured in DIISR Spring 2010 newsletter
See Article on CRCBID research in DIISR CRC Newsletter Spring 2010 newsletter.
Modelling of detector material underway at MCSS
Dr Marie Ruat, a post-doctoral fellow at Monash Centre for Synchrotron Science (MCSS), is an expert in modelling the performance of Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) and Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CZT) detector semiconductor materials.
Marie previously worked at the CEA-LETI institute (the Electronics and Information Technology Laboratory of the French Atomic Energy Commission) in Grenoble, France and at the National Microelectronics Center (Centro Nacional de Microelectrónica [CNM]) in Barcelona, Spain investigating Silicon, Cadmium Telluride and Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) 3D detectors for medical imaging; and for the inner detector of ATLAS, one of the experiments of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN, Geneva, Switzerland.
CRCs enable collaborations
“CRCs enable collaborations that wouldn’t otherwise exist ...”
Professor Terry O’Brien from the University of Melbourne and Royal Melbourne Hospital was interviewed this month on 666 ABC Local Radio, Canberra, about the CRCBID project trialling the use of flumazenil (FMZ) to assist in surgical planning for patients with refractory epilepsy.
CRCBID supports University of Newcastle's Radiopharmacy Course
CRCBID is providing support for resources to be developed as part of the University of Newcastle's expanded radiopharmacy course.
Read more in this article from the University of Newcastle's Health Sciences newsletter.
International research seminar at ANSTO
ANSTO’s seminar in March on the latest clinical developments in novel radiopharmaceuticals and new imaging methods was well received.
Offering a valuable teaching and learning opportunity for the radiopharmaceutical research community, highly regarded local and international speakers presented their work in the use of novel radiopharmaceuticals for imaging cancer and neurodegeneration, and new imaging methods including modelling, instrumentation and small animal imaging.
CRCBID IP adviser receives honour
In April 2010, Sam Hajjar, CRCBID's Intellectual Property Management and Commercialisation Adviser, was awarded the 2009 university medal for academic performance in the MBA program at Macquarie Graduate School of Management (MGSM). The award, known as the Allen Knott Scholar Award, acknowledges academic performance over the duration of the MBA program at MGSM, which is regarded as one of the leading MBA programs in Australasia.
CRCBID student work recognised
Jake Shortt, a student whose PhD work is being supported by CRCBID, was recently awarded one of three "Leukaemia Foundation Student Prizes" for his poster entitled "PI3K/mTOR pathway dissection using novel kinase inhibitors reveals the therapeutic potential of dual PI3K/mTOR blockade and identifies mTORC1 and AKT as key targets in Myc driven lymphoma".
Novel tracer paper published
Results published in January 2010 in the Journal of Clinical Neuroscience show that a novel radiopharmaceutical tracer developed from an amino acid may provide better detection of brain tumours than the tracer currently in use.
Link to BBC Radio 4 audio slide show - The image that changed the world
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8479609.stm
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