A expansão do desenvolvimento de radionuclídeos para uso em terapia de tumores, permite que técnicas de tratamento de tumores sejam mais seletivas e adequadas. Novos agentes têm como finalidade reduzir o tempo de tratamento e acelerar o tempo de recuperação de muitos pacientes. O principal objetivo deste trabalho é o desenvolvimento de microesferas de ácido lático e resina marcadas com Hólmio-166, para que se obtenha um radiofármaco que possa oferecer um tratamento localizado do tumor e, portanto para que se tenha a máxima irradiação do tumor e a diminuição dos efeitos de toxicidade nos tecidos adjacentes saudáveis. A metástase hepática é a principal causa de morte de pacientes com câncer de colo retal, para estes pacientes a resposta da quimioterapia e da radioterapia é baixa. Uma alternativa é a radioterapia interna seletiva utilizando microesferas marcadas com Hólmio-166, um emissor b (Emax=1,84 MeV), com um alcance máximo no tecido de 8,4mm e emissor de fótons (81 keV, 6,2%), apropriado para a aquisição de imagens. A produção de Hólmio-166 é possível no reator nuclear IEA-R1 (IPEN-CNEN/SP), um reator de pesquisa com baixo fluxo de nêutrons. O Hólmio tem uma abundância de 100% na natureza e seção de choque de 64 barns. Isso permite produzir uma atividade de 344mCi (~12GBq) (reator IEA-R1, 60 horas, 4,0x 1013n .s-1.cm-2), o suficiente para produção de doses terapêuticas. As resinas de troca catiônica, AG50W-X2, AG50W-X8, Amberlite, Sephadex e Sepharose, foram marcadas com 166Ho. Todas elas apresentaram um ótimo resultado de marcação. As resinas AG50W-X2, AG50W-X8, Amberlite e Sephadex não têm o tamanho de partícula ideal para terapia de tumores hepáticos, porém foi proposto que partículas com tamanho entre 100-450 m podem ser usadas no tratamento de tumores de cabeça e pescoço. A resina Sepharose tem as características essenciais para terapia de tumores hepáticos. Entretanto, estudos in vivo devem ser realizados para comprovar a sua eficácia. O preparo das microesferas de ácido lático não foi bem sucedido, mas a primeira fase da preparação apresentou bons resultados. / A surge in research activity is expanding the applications for therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals, which are employing more sophisticated targeting methodologies and more appropriate therapeutic isotopes for the tumors being treated. These new agents will reduce treatment time and accelerate recovery for many patients. The aim of this work is the development of resin-based and acid lacticbased microspheres labeled with 166Ho, in order to obtain selective delivery of radioisotopes to the tumor, thus maximizing the irradiation effect while sparing toxicity to the surrounding healthy liver. Liver metastases cause the majority of deaths from colorectal cancer, and response to chemotherapy and external radiotheraphy is poor. An alternative is an internal radionuclide therapy using microspheres labeled with 166Ho, a beta minus emitter (Emax=1.84 MeV), with maximum tissue range 8.4 mm, that also emits photons (81keV, 6.2%) suitable for imaging. The production of 166Ho is feasible in the IEA-R1 Reactor at IPEN-CNEN/SP, a low power reactor with low neutron fluxes. The nuclear reaction has a cross section of 64 barns and 165Ho has a natural abundance of 100%. It is possible to produce 344 mCi (~12GBq) (IEA-R1 Reactor, 60 hours, 4,0x 1013n .s-1.cm-2) a sufficient therapeutic dose, depending on the demand of doses. The cation exchange resins, AG50W-X2, AG50W-X8, Amberlite, Sephadex and Sepharose, were labeled with 166Ho. All the resins showed a very good retention. Although AG50W-X2, AG50W-X8, Amberlite and Sephadex did not have the right particle size, it is suggested that particles of 100-450 m could be used in the treatment of head-and-neck tumours. Sepharose labeled with 166Ho has essential characteristics for treatment liver therapy. However, further in vivo studies should be performed to prove its effectiveness. The preparation of acid lactic-based microspheres was not successful, but the first step of the preparation was very effective.

This thesis describes Nuclear Orientation and radiofrequency magnetic susceptibility experiments on the enhanced nuclear antiferromagnet holmium vanadate (HoVO₄) from 1 K down to about 1 mK and in applied fields of up to 2.4 tesla. Adiabatic demagnetisation of single crystals of HoVO₄ allowed a mean nuclear spin temperature of about 1 mK to be reached. R.f. magnetic susceptibility measurements at approximately 2.4 mK and in an applied field of about 1.5 x 10^-2 T identified the spin 'flop' phase of the nuclear anti-ferromagnet HoVO₄. The Néel temperature T_N was determined to be 4.0 (2) mK which is in good agreement with the value of 4.8 mK calculated for the dipole-dipole interaction of the enhanced magnetic moments at the Ho site. Gamma-ray anisotropy measurements of ^166mHoVO₄ showed that in low applied fields (B ≮ 0.5 x 10^-2 T) and temperatures of about 1 mK the antiferromagnetic domains were uniformly distributed in the a-a' plane of the tetragonal zircon crystal structure. This was interpreted in terms of pinning of the nuclei due to crystalline imperfections. The spin 'flop' phase was identified in an applied field of 1.2 x 10^-2 T which is in good agreement with the susceptibility measurements. Demagnetisation experiments down to the relatively high residual fields of 4.2 x 10</sup>-2</sup> T and 7.4 x 10</sup>-2</sup> T and temperatures of about 2 mK showed that the effective field at the nucleus was much smaller than the applied field thus indicating that there was some antiferromagnetic ordering even at these relatively high fields. The magnetic dipole moment of ^166mHo was estimated to be 3.60 (6) μ_N from gamma-ray anisotropy measurements of some gamma transitions of known NO parameters. This value is in good agreement with the value of 3.69μ_N calculated for the Nilsson configuration [6337./2]_n [5237/2]_p for the extra-core neutron and proton respectively. Mixing ratio (δ) measurements for gamma-ray transitions between the (K^π = 2⁺) γ-vibrational and (K^π = 0⁺) ground state rotational bands of the daughter nucleus ¹⁶⁶Er showed that Ml transition probabilities are predominantly via ΔK = 1 band mixing which is in good agreement with systematics for deformed nuclei in this mass region. Nuclear refrigeration experiments on a powdered compressed HoVO₄ - copper pill allowed a lattice temperature of 3.9 (3) mK to be reached. Thermal contact measurements on a similar pill showed that the effective area of contact between the salt particles and copper was only about 30 cm² which was a small fraction of the total surface area available. Preliminary work on a HoVO₄ - gold pill enabled a ⁶⁰Co ̲C̲o thermometer to be cooled to 6.0 (l) mK.

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This research studied Ho166/PLLA microspheres, a promising treatment for tumours in the liver. The Ho166 is generated through a neutron capture reaction during irradiation in a nuclear reactor. Previous work has found that neutron-irradiation in-core causes damage to microspheres and causes additional degradation to progress once suspended in media. The cause of this damage was not well understood and is the focus of this research. This research studied factors present in-core such as heat, gamma radiation, and impacts of lead shielding, for their impact on microsphere quality. Additionally, this research looked at the potential of reactive oxygen species causing damage once microspheres are suspended in liquid. Thresholds for damage were identified to correlate with the glass transition temperature of poly- l-lactic acid. Exposure to gamma radiation induces heating, as well as structural changes to the polymer which shifts the temperature where the glass transition occurs. Damage formed from gamma radiation, independent of other variables, was seen at extreme accumulated doses. Notably, exposure to gamma radiation and heat did not cause a progression of damage over time. Samples exposed only to these factors remained stable in solution for extended periods. A theory was proposed that reactive oxygen species formed by the interaction of ionizing radiation with the suspending media may be causing the progression of damage over time. This factor would only be present for microspheres having undergone neutron capture reactions, forming radioactive holmium. Testing confirmed a potential impact of radiation interactions with the suspending media contributing to damage progression. Several thicknesses of lead shielding surrounding the sample chamber were tested in-core. There were significant impacts on temperature, neutron flux, and microsphere quality. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc) / This research studied Ho166/PLLA microspheres, a promising treatment for tumours in the liver. The preparation of this treatment includes microspheres being neutron irradiated in the core of a nuclear reactor. Irradiation in-core leads to damage of microspheres. This research studied factors present in-core such as heat, gamma radiation, and thickness of lead shielding, for their impact on microsphere quality. Additionally, this research looked at the potential of reactive oxygen species causing damage once microspheres are suspended in liquid. Thresholds for damage were identified for temperature and gamma radiation exposure. Radiation interactions in liquid suggest possible damaging effects over time. Finally changing the thickness of lead shielding in core had significant impact on temperature, neutron flux, and microsphere quality.

Evaluation de l'efficacité et de l'innocuité de la microcuriethérapie à base de microparticules d'holmium pour le traitement du gliobastome induit chez un modèle porcinAuteur: Seyed Mehrdad KHOSH NEVISMot clés: U87, miniporc, glioblastome, modèle animal, Yucatan, microcuriethérapie, Holmium-166, nanoparticulesRésumé: L’objectif de notre étude a été de tester une modalité thérapeutique moins invasive (microcuriethérapie), en phase préclinique sur un modèle animal porcin, pour le traitement du GB. 1) Nous avons développé un nouveau modèle de GB en implantant la lignée U87 dans le cerveau du miniporc (Yucatan). Les images scanner ont montré la présence de tumeurs chez tous les miniporcs. 2) Nous avons évalué l’injectabilité d’holmium non radioactif (ho-165) après injection stéréotaxique dans le cerveau de miniporcs sains. L’holmium était bien circonscrit aux zones d’injection et a été validée pour les essais ultérieurs d'injections intra-tumorales. 3) Nous avons réalisé des injections d’ho-165, directement dans la tumeur d’un modèle de GB U87. La faisabilité des injections d’ho-165 a été testée chez le miniporc en utilisant un système d’injection préclinique spécifique. Les résultats de cette étude ont montré que la suspension de nanoparticules d’ho-165 pouvait être injectée, avec précision, dans la tumeur. 4) L’étape finale a été d’évaluer l’efficacité du traitement à base de nanoparticules d’ho-166 en microcuriethérapie sur le modèle de GB du miniporc. Notre étude a démontré un très bon contrôle tumoral et l’absence d’effets toxiques / Evaluation of treatment efficacy and safety of microbrachytherapy with holmium microparticles in porcine induced glioblastoma model.Author: Seyed Mehrdad KHOSH NEVISKeywords: U87, minipig, gliobastoma, animal model, Yucatan, Microbrachytherapy, Holmium-166, nanoparticlesResumé: The aim of our study was to apply a less invasive therapeutic method (microbrachytherapy) for the treatment of GB in a preclinical phase on a suitable animal model.1) First, we developed a new model of GB in Yucatan minipig by implantation of U87 cell line in the brain. All implanted minipigs demonstrated macroscopic tumors on CT acquisitions. 2) In parallel, the injectability of the non-radioactive Holmium (Ho-165) in healthy brain was assessed. Holmium was circumscribed to the injection area and was found to be suitable for future intratumoral injections. 3) In the next step, the feasibility of injection of ho-165 was tested in minipigs GB model using specific injection system. Results showed that the ho-165 nanoparticles suspension can be injected precisely inside the cerebral tumor using our prototype injection system. 4) The final step was the evaluation of treatment efficacy using radioactive ho-166, as microbrachytherapy, in Yucatan GB model. Our trial demonstrated an excellent efficiency in tumor control and the absence of toxic effects