research
The Enrico Fermi Research Center - CREF promotes original and high-impact lines of research, based on physical methods, but with a strong interdisciplinary character and in relation to the main problems of the modern knowledge society.
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The CREF was born with a dual soul: a research centre and a historical museum. Its aim is to preserve and disseminate the memory of Enrico Fermi and to promote the dissemination and communication of scientific culture.
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the research
Radio and Hadrontherapy
Conventional radiotherapy, which is currently widespread, could undergo a substantial change. It has been shown that administering a specific dose over a very short time increases the treatment’s effectiveness while reducing damage to healthy tissue and limiting the onset of side effects, such as secondary tumours. This phenomenon is called the Flash effect.
The Flash Dosimeter Counter Project (Flash DC) aims to test the effectiveness and benefits of applying a high dose rate to tumour cells by developing an innovative detector for monitoring and characterizing electron beams in Flash mode, based on the fluorescence detection technique. Currently, the development of tools that can monitor Flash beams is the main obstacle to the practical application of this technology.
We plan to proceed with the following activities:
Measurements of electron beams delivered in Flash mode from an optimized detector monitoring system. Based on the results obtained in 2022-2023, we want to design and implement a marketable beam monitoring system that can be used in a clinical setting.
The collected data will be analysed, and the detector will be characterised in terms of resolution for measuring the parameters of interest. The optimized prototypes and detectors will be tested in the lab and with therapeutic beams to verify their proper functioning, highlight their strengths, and pinpoint any critical elements.
Evaluation of the developing detector’s characteristics through the development of a Monte Carlo simulation, along with an assessment of the expected signal and background noise.
Current SPECT technologies mainly include Anger Cameras and CZT-based detectors. Anger Cameras use a scintillating NaI(Tl) crystal read by PMTs, which makes them cost-effective but limits their ability to handle high count rates and makes them incompatible with MRI environments. CZT detectors, on the other hand, directly digitize gamma radiation, ensuring high speed, MRI compatibility, and excellent spatial resolution. However, their high cost and complex production process have limited their adoption. The ReSPECT system aims to overcome these limitations.
The cross-sections for the production of charged secondary fragments during Carbon Particle Therapy (CPT) from both the target and the beam are a subject of continuous study and measurement. This is necessary for a more accurate definition of the underlying physics used to develop treatment plans (TPS, or Treatment Planning Systems).
In addition, secondary radiation produced by neutrons must be characterized experimentally with high precision. This will improve the evaluation of the risk of secondary malignant tumors and help define the therapeutic window for treatment. To date, there is no complete characterization of neutron production cross-sections in the energy range of interest for CPT.
UHDR (Ultra-High Dose Rate) radiotherapy and technological advances in compact electron accelerators are paving the way for the use of Very High Energy Electrons (VHEE) to treat deep-seated tumors. Innovations such as C- and X-band LINACs, which can achieve higher acceleration gradients, and the discovery of the FLASH effect have renewed interest in VHEE therapy. However, the lack of a dedicated Treatment Planning System (TPS) represents a significant obstacle to its implementation. A TPS is essential for precisely planning and calculating dose distribution, balancing effectiveness with safety. Without a VHEE-specific TPS, it’s difficult to integrate this therapy into clinical practice, especially given the complex biological effects of FLASH, which require precise conditions to be activated. Since VHEE and FLASH-RT are not yet clinically available, commercial TPS cannot be tested on real cases, and adapting existing calculation codes for VHEE is still limited. Currently, few research tools allow for testing FLASH or VHEE modalities in complex geometries or for integrating the FLASH effect into dose optimization models.
The scintillators developed by LEOS and CREF will be integrated modularly with silicon electronics for a segmented readout and advanced spatial resolution (see following figure). This system is proposed as an economical and innovative option for nuclear imaging, with potential for dosimetric applications in theranostic treatments, such as with Lutetium-177. Further validations are needed to translate these innovations into clinical practice.
The MULTIPASS project aims to develop a fiber tracker for ultra-fast neutrons (10-200 MeV) based on double elastic scattering, filling a technological gap with the MONDO detector. The goal is to build a compact device (10 x 10 x 20 cm³) to characterize secondary neutrons in CPT.
In the context of developing the treatment plan optimization tool, we have also studied the potential use of optimization methodologies derived from optimal transport theory and statistical mechanics. In recent years, optimal transport regularization has achieved a near-linear scaling with the (numerical) complexity of the problem, enormously speeding up numerical convergence. The advantage, at least conceptually, of using optimal transport theory is that both the problem’s constraints and the search for the minimums of a released dose function can be modeled, increasing the practicality of the model. This constrains the dose released on the PTV to be at least that required by the treatment plan, while minimizing the dose to other organs. The results of this synergy between the activities of this research line and those of CREF’s complex systems group are promising. We aim to improve current performance in terms of both overall calculation time and the simultaneous expansion of the parameters of interest that can be optimized.
- Michela Marafini, Ricercatrice CREF
- Ricercatori CREF: Marco Garbini
- Ricercatori INFN: Giacomo Traini
- Prof. Sapienza: Vincenzo Patera, Alessio Sarti, Adalberto Sciubba, Marco Toppi, Angelo Schiavi
- Dottorandi, Assegnisti esterni: Antonio Trigilio, Angelica De Gregorio, Gaia Franciosini
- Borsista (5 mesi, CREF): Annalisa Muscato
- SIT Sordina – Aprilia (LT), Italia
- Istituto Curie – Paris, France
- CNAO – Pavia, Italia
- GSI – Darmstadt, Germania
- APPS – Trento, Italia
- FBK – Trento, Italia
- Dipartimento SBAI – Università di Roma‚ La Sapienza.
- Istituto Nucleare di Fisica Nucleare (INFN)
- G.Franciosini et al. “GPU-accelerated Monte Carlo simulation of electron and photon interactions for radiotherapy applications” Physics in Medicine and Biology (2023) 68(4),044001 Open Access doi: 10.1088/1361-6560/aca1f2
- G.Cartechi et al. “Loading the tumor with 31P, 63Cu and 89Y provides an in vivo prompt gamma-based range verification for therapeutic protons” Frontiers in Physics (2023) 11,1071981 Open Access doi: 10.3389/fphy.2023.1071981
- A.Kraan et al. “Calibration and performance assessment of the TOF-Wall detector of the FOOT experiment” Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment (2023) 1045,167615 doi: 10.1016/j.nima.2022.167615
- M. Toppi et al. “Elemental fragmentation cross sections for a 16O beam of 400 MeV/u kinetic ener- gy interacting with a graphite target using the FOOT E-TOF detectors”. In: Frontiers in Physics 10 (2022) Open Access doi: 10.3389/fphy.2022.979229.
- Trigilio et al. “The FlashDC project: Development of a beam monitor for FLASH radiotherapy”. In: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment 1041 (2022). doi: 10.1016/j.nima.2022.167334.
- M. Moglioni et al. “In-vivo range verification analysis with in-beam PET data for patients treated with proton therapy at CNAO”. In: Frontiers in Oncology (2022) 12,929949 Open Access doi: 10.3389/fonc.2022.929949.
- M. De Simoni et al. “A Data-Driven Fragmentation Model for Carbon Therapy GPU-Accelerated Monte- Carlo Dose Recalculation”. In: Frontiers in Oncology 12 (2022) Open Access doi: 10.3389/fonc.2022.780784.
- A.Kraan et al. “Localization of anatomical changes in patients during proton therapy with in-beam PET monitoring: A voxel-based morphometry approach exploiting Monte Carlo simulations” Medical Physics (2022) 49(1), pp. 23-40 Open Access doi: 10.1002/mp.15336
Il Progetto è stato finanziato dalla Regione Lazio tramite il progetto FlashDC RSI2020. Il finanziamento totale del progetto ammonta a 149,667euro, la parte di finanziamento relativo al CREF ammonta a 81,118 euro mentre la parte relativa al dipartimento SBAI è di 68,558 euro. La durata del progetto è di 30 mesi con inizio ad aprile 2021.