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Antiproton Radiation Found Biologically Effective in Terminating Cells Used in Cancer Research

Posted on: Tuesday, 25 November 2003, 06:00 CST

An international collaboration of scientists has completed the first ever antiproton beam experiments designed to reveal the biological effectiveness of antiproton radiation in terminating cells used for cancer research, it was announced today by Larry Welch, President and CEO of PBar Labs, LLC.

PBar Labs assembled the collaboration at CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research in Geneva) to perform the measurements. The ground-breaking data obtained from the experiments, conducted this summer, are the first measured results of living cells exposed to antiprotons. "We are grateful that CERN agreed to host and give support to the experiments," says Welch, "as CERN is the only research facility in the world providing an antiproton beam with the characteristics needed for such experiments."

Dr. Rolf Landua from CERN adds: "The study of biological effects of antiprotons on cells is of great interest for potential future therapeutical applications. We at CERN are very happy to take part in this pioneering and fundamental research."

Dr. Rodney Withers, Chairman of the Radiation Oncology Department of the UCLA Medical Center and a senior member of the PBar collaboration states, "The measured results to date indicate that, for a narrow dose peak at the end of their path, the antiprotons deliver an effective dose which is about 10 times higher than at the surface where the beam entered."

"Antiprotons offer the basis for developing a new, non-invasive surgical tool for the treatment of certain tumors," explains Dr. Joe Martin, Chief Technology Officer for PBar Labs, "because the effective dose from antiprotons would be delivered mostly to the tumor and not to surrounding tissue, unlike conventional opposed-field x-rays that deliver roughly equal radiation doses to the entrance path, tumor, and exit path."

"Antiproton annihilation leads to enhanced cell lethality in the peak dose region," adds Dr. Carl Maggiore, Chief Scientist for PBar Labs. "We expect this could reduce the number of treatment sessions required and provide higher comfort and better outcome for patients."

"We are pleased that the potential of antiproton therapy was sufficiently powerful to attract the top caliber of researchers from international institutions who participated," states Dr. Michael Holzscheiter, VP of Scientific Collaborations for PBar Labs, "and that the results of our experiments to date are so positive." The collaboration included researchers from CERN and University Hospital Geneva in Switzerland, UCLA Medical Center in the United States, University of Aarhus and Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark, British Columbia Cancer Research Center in Canada, the University of Maastricht in The Netherlands and PBar Labs.

For further information, click on: www.pbarlabs.com.

 For Further Information, Contact: Joyce Brubaker/Devon Blaine The Blaine Group Phone: 310.360.1499 FAX: 1498 e-mail: blaine@pacificnet.net

SOURCE: PBAR Labs, LLC

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