At the Future Technologies Forum, which took place on February 13-14,
Alexey Likhachev, Rosatom Director General, presented the medical
achievements of the nuclear industry: equipment for growing new blood
vessels, bioimplants, new possibilities for radiopharmaceuticals and
quantum computing.
Rosatom demonstrated additive technologies, which are extremely
effective in situations where the treatment of a patient is impossible
without artificial and biological materials.
In particular, the exposition included a mockup of the magnetoacoustic
bioprinter that “grows” tubular tissues under physical fields, as well
as a bioreactor, where a vessel “learns” to work properly. This device
makes it possible to fulfil the task of growing functional blood vessels
of small diameter from the patient’s biological material. The patients’
organisms will not reject blood vessels grown from their cells; such
vessels will develop and grow. This is especially important in pediatric
transplantology.
“Rosatom companies are currently engaged with healthcare developments in
such areas as additive technologies, radiopharmaceuticals and quantum
computing. All the research we are doing is aimed at providing doctors
with significantly increased capabilities of delivering health care to
patients. Thus, in the field of additive technologies, we already make
implants of artificial biosimilar materials while also beginning to grow
human organs from the patients’ cells. In the atomedics field, we are
developing innovative radiopharmaceuticals and about to launch
production of the entire range of radiopharmaceuticals applicable in
global medical practice.
“For this purpose, we are building the largest plant in Europe that will
produce radiopharmaceuticals in Obninsk, Kaluga region. We are already
studying practical applications of quantum computing in the medicine of
the future, in particular, to detect diseases at the earliest stages.
Our developments are to move healthcare to a completely new level and to
help achieve a completely different quality of life for people,” said
Alexey Likhachev, Rosatom Director General.
Rosatom scientists have grown a blood vessel equivalent with a length of
2 cm. They plan to grow equivalents of up to 10 cm length by the end of
the year. The experience of growing individual vessels will allow moving
on to the next step — complex branched systems that are growing organs,
such as the thyroid gland, kidney, liver and others.
At the Forum, Rosatom also presented innovative developments and
solutions in the atomedics. In particular, the visitors found out about
the progress of Rosatom’s construction of Europe’s largest
radiopharmaceuticals plant with GMP standards. Along with the plant
construction, Rosatom scientists are also developing exact
radiopharmaceuticals to be produced by the Corporation.
Thus, based on the available technology doctors have developed a unique
one-of-a-kind medication based on microspheres of human albumin labeled
with rhenium-188 — HEPATOREN-MRNC. The medication is already used to
treat patients with malignant liver tumors. It is delivered through the
femoral artery directly to the liver and then distributed throughout the
tumor vasculature. The procedure stops the growth of tumors in 90% of
cases and is effective in combination therapy.
Other unique developments include biosimilar implants with a special
coating equivalent to bone tissue, which increases compatibility with
patient tissue. Rosatom scientists were the first in the country to
receive registration certificates for the special software developed to
create uniquely shaped implants in accordance with the patient’s CT and
MRT data, as well as finished products. Digital technologies reduce the
time it takes to produce a finished implant from 60 to 7 days while also
shortening patients’ recovery period by 2-3 times.
The visitors could also see the work of a quantum algorithm which allows
identifying signs of pneumonia on X-ray images: increasing power of
quantum computers will make it possible to detect diseases at the
earliest stages. The presentation of related technologies included
pre-production laser and electronics samples for quantum computing,
which the Russian Quantum Center is testing according to the quantum
computing roadmap.
On top of that, Rosatom also made the first presentation of a new
generation device designed to treat oncological diseases – the Torus
linear accelerator, as well as the Sanginox device, which synthesizes
unlimited amount of nitric oxide from the air and supplies it to the
blood circuit when used with artificial blood circulation devices.
For Africa, where healthcare infrastructure varies significantly across
countries and access to advanced medical treatments can be limited,
these technologies could revolutionize patient care.
These innovations promise to address some of the continent’s most
pressing healthcare challenges. The ability to grow functional blood
vessels from a patient’s own cells could greatly enhance the success
rates of transplants and surgeries, reducing the risk of rejection and
complications.
These achievements hold the promise of not only advancing healthcare
delivery but also building capacity and fostering innovation within the
African healthcare sector.
By leveraging these technologies, African countries could see
significant improvements in patient outcomes and a reduction in
healthcare disparities. The adoption and adaptation of Rosatom’s
healthcare technologies could play a pivotal role in transforming
healthcare across the continent, making advanced medical treatments more
accessible and affordable.
Background
Modern therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals consist of a target molecule,
which is a conductor to the cancer cell, and an isotope that is to
destroy the cancer cell without affecting healthy tissue.
Such medications are intended for patients with inoperable tumors and
metastatic lesions, common in prostate cancer, breast cancer, brain
cancer, neuroendocrine tumors, blood cancer and other diseases.
Radiopharmaceuticals are also used for diagnostic purposes in
cardiology, neurology and other fields. They make it possible to give
the most accurate diagnosis, which is the basis for effective treatment.
Health Technologies is a division that accumulates Rosatom’s healthcare
expertise. The company was established on the basis of Rosatom companies
and institutes to comprehensively develop healthcare technologies in
Russia and abroad.
The Health Technologies Division is developing in four main areas:
comprehensive healthcare solutions; production and supply of isotope
products (50 countries); diagnostics and treatment equipment; solutions
for product treatment with ionizing radiation.
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