BME Seminar: Radiopharmaceutical Therapy: Looking Into the Black Box of Cancer Therapy

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George Sgouros, Ph.D., Director of Radiological Physics Division, Professor of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine

Radiopharmaceutical therapy (RPT) is emerging as a safe and effective targeted approach to treating many types of cancer. In RPT, radiation is systemically or locally delivered using pharmaceuticals that either bind preferentially to cancer cells or accumulate by physiological mechanisms. Almost all radionuclides used in RPT emit photons that can be imaged, enabling non- invasive visualization of the biodistribution of the therapeutic agent. Compared with almost all other systemic cancer treatment options, RPT has shown efficacy with minimal toxicity. With the recent FDA approval of several RPT agents, the remarkable potential of this treatment is now being recognized.

Dr. Sgouros is Professor and Director of the Radiological Physics Division in the Department of Radiology at Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine. The focus of his research is on modeling and dosimetry of internally administered radionuclides with a particular emphasis on patient-specific dosimetry, alpha-particle dosimetry, and mathematical modeling of radionuclide therapy. Dr. Sgouros is author on more than 200 peer-reviewed articles, as well as several book chapters and review articles. He is the recipient of the SNMMI Saul Hertz Award for outstanding achievements and contributions in radionuclide therapy. He is a member of the Medical Internal Radionuclide Dose (MIRD) Committee of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI), which he chaired from 2008 to 2019. He has served as chairman of the Dosimetry & Radiobiology Panel at a Department of Energy Workshop on alpha-emitters in medical therapy and, in the early 90’s, provided the physics/dosimetry support for the first FDA-approved human trial of targeted Alpha-emitter therapy. He is also a member of the International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements (ICRU), Report Committee on “Bioeffect Modeling and Equieffective Dose Concepts in Radiation Therapy” and chair of Report Committee 31 on “Treatment Planning for Radiopharmaceutical Therapy.” Dr. Sgouros served on the Scientific Committee of the IAEA/WHO Network of Secondary Standards Dosimetry Laboratories (2014-2018); and is a member of the National Council on Radiological Protection and Measurements (NCRP). Dr. Sgouros is a former chair (2015-2017) of the NIH study section on Radiation Therapeutics and Biology (RTB). He was also a member of the Ad hoc Working Group on Radiation Oncology, NIH, NCI, Clinical Trials and Translational Research Advisory Committee (2019-2021). Dr. Sgouros is also founder and principal of Rapid, a start-up that provides dosimetry and imaging services and products in support of radiopharmaceutical therapy.