Since 1991 a multidisciplinary research group has been pursuing BNCT in Finland in order to bring this new experimental radiotherapy into clinical practice. A highly malignant brain tumour, glioblastoma multiforme, was chosen as the first target of this novel therapy.
The scientists at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland designed and constructed an epithermal neutron beam at the 250 kW research reactor of VTT (FiR 1). The current configuration of the beam and the BNCT facility were finalized by the end of 1997. The efficacy and the purity of the neutron beam are among the best in the world with high epithermal flux and low contamination of fast neutrons and gamma radiation. The high quality of the beam is due to a unique beam modulator substance FLUENTALTM developed and patented by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland.
Dosimetric measurements have been carried out at the BNCT facility by physicists from VTT and the University of Helsinki (HU) together with the scientist from Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL, USA) and NRI (Czech Republic). Radiobiological studies have been carried out by researchers from HU, VTT and Helsinki University Central Hospital (HUCH) in collaboration with the CRC Radiobiology Unit (Oxford, UK). The functions of the BNCT facility and the advanced dose planning software developed by INEEL have been thoroughly tested during these studies.
In collaboration with Katchem Ltd (Czech Republic), the Finnish research group has improved the manufacturing process of the boron-10 carrier molecule, boronophenylalanine (BPA). Based on this work the BPA manufactured by Katchem was used in first clinical trials.
The preclinical research programs were successfully completed in 1998. The licensing procedure of the neutron beam and BNCT facility was completed in 1999. Soon after that, the first human clinical trial was started and the first patient was treated in May 1999.
At present, all ongoing clinical trials are sponsored by Boneca Corporation. The patient treatments are carried-out in close collaboration with VTT, the Department of Oncology, HUCH and Boneca Corporation. Current clinical studies include protocols for malignant brain and head & neck tumours.
A concise procedure to produce 18F-labeled L-BPA has been developed for positron emission tomography imaging (PET). The manufacturing of 18F-labeled L-BPA and imaging of trial patients are carried-out at the Turku PET Centre.
