Research in nuclear sciences is driving new approaches to cancer diagnosis and treatment — a central theme of the seminar held at CTN, with the participation of Argentine researcher Agustina Portu.
The Campus Tecnológico e Nuclear (CTN) of Instituto Superior Técnico, in Loures, recently welcomed researcher Agustina Portu, from Argentina’s National Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA), for the seminar ‘The National Pre-Clinical Imaging Laboratory and other Nuclear Applications to Health at Argentina’s National Atomic Energy Commission’.
The event, promoted by Academia C²TN – Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias Nucleares – as part of the Thematic Line “Radiopharmaceutical Sciences and Health Physics”, took place on 21st October in the CTN auditorium, bringing together researchers and students from Técnico. The session was opened by researcher Filipa Mendes, from C²TN, who introduced the guest speaker, Agustina Portu.
Part of the International Atomic Energy Agency‘s Technical Cooperation Project TCP ARG 60/23, the seminar was another step towards strengthening collaboration between Portugal and Argentina in the fields of nuclear medicine and innovative cancer therapies.
According to Agustina Portu, Biomedical Engineer and PhD in Science and Technology from the Universidad Nacional de San Martín, ‘this visit allowed us to recognise multiple synergies with the C²TN teams, particularly in the in vitro and in vivo evaluation of radiopharmaceuticals, in the development of boron compounds for Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) and in the use of innovative biological models, such as cell spheroids’.
The researcher also presented the National Pre-Clinical Imaging Laboratory (LANAIP), a pioneering infrastructure of CNEA, equipped with a trimodal micro PET/SPECT/CT platform, unique in Argentina. ‘LANAIP acts as a bridge between basic research and clinical practice, ensuring ethical and safety standards in the use of animal models’, she explained.
Among the initial scientific results, “the evaluation of orthotopic tumours through a new route of FDG administration” stands out. The laboratory is authorised to operate with 18F-FDG (PET) and 99mTc (SPECT) and is preparing to include radiopharmaceuticals based on lutetium-177, with the aim of ‘evaluating therapeutic efficacy and reducing radiation doses through advanced imaging techniques’, added Agustina Portu.
During the session, Argentina’s advances in particle therapies were also highlighted, including BNCT and the first Proton Therapy Centre in Latin America, currently under construction. ‘There is an open clinical trial of BNCT for the treatment of melanoma, and new applications are being studied for head and neck tumours’, she said, noting that ‘each new therapeutic target requires rigorous approval by regulatory authorities, which is essential to ensure safety and efficacy’.
The International Atomic Energy Agency‘s support has been instrumental in strengthening cooperation between Latin American and European institutions. ‘Collaboration with Técnico and C²TN opens doors to joint projects and researcher mobility. There is a clear complementarity of skills, and Portugal’s experience in international applications is an added value’, said the researcher.
Agustina Portu also highlighted the similarities between the Universidad Nacional de San Martín and Instituto Superior Técnico, which offer similar courses such as Biomedical Engineering and Medical Physics, which could facilitate ‘the creation of exchange programmes and joint research’.
‘International projects are highly competitive, but intercontinental cooperation is highly valued. Working together increases scientific impact and chances of success’, said Agustina Portu.
The seminar ended with a reflection on the future of nuclear medicine, marked by the integration of theranostic agents capable of simultaneously diagnosing and treating cancer. The researcher noted that ‘these advances will enable more personalised, effective and sustainable treatments, with a direct impact on public health’, said the researcher.
‘All the projects presented — LANAIP, BNCT and prototherapy — are multidisciplinary in nature. Their success depends on the joint efforts of researchers from various fields, united by the same goal: to improve human health through science’, concluded Agustina Portu.