The Oxford Translational Myeloma Centre (OTMC) at NDORMS has recruited its first patient to trial a new type of bone imaging scan.
The Magneto study, sponsored by Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and funded by GSK, is testing an innovative approach that uses a small dose of a radioactive antibody - known as a radiotracer - to target myeloma cells. The radiotracer, made from belantamab (a drug already used to treat myeloma), is designed to bind to the surface of myeloma cells. Once injected, it 'lights up' on a PET-CT scanner, potentially revealing disease activity with unprecedented precision.
Led by Karthik Ramasamy, Professor of Haematology and Co-Director of the OTMC, the Magneto study hopes to refine diagnosis for myeloma patients and use the technology to develop a response tailored to each patient.
Karthik said: ‘Myeloma is a cancer that mainly targets the blood and damages bone. While traditional scans such a CT scan, X ray or MRI will show up damage to a patient’s bones, they can only give us limited information about disease stage - especially in early or low-level ‘smouldering’ myeloma. Cell infiltration is a key marker in active disease, so if we are able to see that happening through these scans, in future we can better tailor treatment. Some patients currently diagnosed as having smouldering myeloma may, in fact, have active disease based on what we see in these scans.’
The study is being delivered at the Experimental Medicine Clinical Research Facility (EMCRF) at NDORMS, with extensive collaboration between radiology, pharmacy, imaging, and safety teams across Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Oxford.