Oak Ridge Environmental Management joins a partnership for cancer treatment research from nuclear material.
In a recent gathering, the Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management united with partners to honor the impressive strides achieved in cancer treatment research, which derived from aged nuclear material, according to an April 18 U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management news release.
“We are proud of our team and this hugely beneficial partnership at Oak Ridge,” EM Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Jeff Avery said in the release. “This event demonstrates what is possible when we have a shared vision, mutual goals and the support of the community, Congress and others."
A collaboration of partners, including the Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management, Isotek Systems and private companies, held an event called No One Fights Alone to celebrate advancements in cancer treatment research derived from old nuclear material, the release reported. U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann and Avery also attended the event.
“Targeted alpha therapy is a form of nuclear medicine designed to deliver very precise medicine just to the cancer cells,” TerraPower Isotopes Program President Scott Claunch said in the release. “This treatment delivers a very potent isotope, just to the cancer cells, and in so doing, it will protect the normal, healthy surrounding tissue.”
"There's tremendous hope for significant cancers,” said Mike Pintek, president of Cardinal Health Nuclear and Precision Health Solutions, according to the release. “Science is making tremendous progress, and it's very exciting to see."
“You can give patients a new hope based on actually giving them a chance to extend their lives and improve their quality of lives,” Dr. Ken Song, president and CEO of RayzeBio, a company offering those trials to patients, said in the release.
The collaboration's success highlights the importance of public-private partnerships in tackling complex scientific challenges, according to the release. The event showcased the positive outcomes that can arise from combining expertise and resources from different sectors.
