- Towards live imaging in cancer therapy

ASG Superconductors with Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) will build 
the world's first prototype that tracks moving tumors with magnetic resonance 
imaging (MRI) in real time during proton therapy, combining a rotating open MRI 
device for the LINAC-MR system Alberta Health Services, with an actively 
scanned clinical-akin proton beam at OncoRay, the Dresden-based National Center 
for Radiation Research in Oncology. The rotating MRI device is produced by ASG 
Superconductors, using the MROpen Evo technology-based helium-free 
superconducting MgB2 magnet. Real-time MRI would make it possible to 
synchronize the proton beam to tumor motion during radiation dose delivery. So 
far, this has been impossible and therefore was a limiting factor for treating 
moving tumors with this promising cancer therapy.

Proton therapy is an emerging radiation technology to irradiate tumors while 
sparing the surrounding tissue better than conventional X-ray-based radiation 
due to the finite penetration depth of the protons. However, the effectiveness 
of proton therapy is limited by tumor motion, anatomical changes during therapy 
and set-up inaccuracies in patient positioning.

With the new MRI device and its real-time, high-contrast imaging capabilities 
for organs in the chest, abdomen and pelvis, Aswin Hoffmann from HZDR and his 
team now intend to build a first prototype which might be used clinically at 
some stage: "What is special about this MRI scanner is that it can be rotated 
around the patient relative to the beam, allowing us to study dosimetric and 
biological beam effects for MRI magnetic fields both perpendicular and parallel 
to the proton beam." 

ASG Superconductors is now producing a mid-field-strength open 0.5 Tesla MRI 
device, which is specifically adapted to the requirements of real-time 
MRI-guided radiation therapy by the Alberta Health Services LINAC-MR group and 
its spin-off company MagnetTx Oncology Solutions. MagnetTx Oncology Solutions 
is developing the gantry that is required to rotate the MRI scanner as well as 
the image processing methods for automatically tracking the tumor in real time. 
The design and manufacture of the entire 30-ton device is currently in full 
swing. In summer 2022, the team plans to incorporate it in the actively 
scanned, clinical-akin experimental proton beamline at the OncoRay facility.

"It is very exciting for ASG Superconductors to be part of this project in 
collaboration with HZDR and MagnetTx," says Marco Belardinelli ASG Paramed MRI 
Unit Director and adds, "seeing our MRI and MgB2 superconducting technology 
used as a key component in new and innovative applications such as this one, 
which will ultimately benefit the patients and the medical community, makes us 
proud and even more confident we are moving in the right direction."

"Our partnership with HZDR and ASG has been extremely positive," says Mike 
Cogswell, MagnetTx President and CEO. "We look forward to continuing to work 
together to improve the cancer treatment industry."

"Thanks to this collaboration between HZDR and international industrial 
partners, we are a big step closer to our goal of bringing significant 
innovation to the field, especially to real-time image-guided proton therapy," 
says Hoffmann.

Video - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1490634/ASG_Superconductors_Video.mp4

Source: ASG Superconductors S.p.A