6th Conference on Small Animal Precision Image-Guided Radiotherapy
8-10 April 2024 | Antwerp, Belgium
Endorsed by ESTRO
More than a century of research in radiation biology has led to important insights about the interaction of radiation with biological structures. This field has focused on the treatment of cancer with radiation, although increasingly other diseases are being studied. However, only a small fraction of these studies have been successfully translated into clinical trials. Part of the explanation is that, until recently, preclinical irradiation and imaging technologies were not sufficiently sophisticated to perform precision irradiation to inform clinical translation. Another part of the explanation is that there was a lack of realistic animal cancer models.
About 15 years ago, this started to change: a new field of image-guided precision irradiation was developed through a concerted effort across disciplines. At the same time, more clinically relevant animal models for tumour development were being introduced. Both evolutions proceeded rapidly and catalysed each other. A growing number of radiobiology laboratories can now set up studies with imaging methods to extract complex information regarding the radiation response of realistic tumour models in small animals. We are now able to perform studies that show a complexity comparable to that involved in human radiotherapy. Exciting new developments such as FLASH and minibeam radiotherapy, which have not been clinically deployed on a large scale, require more development of equipment that is adapted to rodent models.
Since 2012, a varying consortium of Maastro Clinic, the University of Maastricht and biomedical company SmART Scientific Solutions, all located in Maastricht, The Netherlands, has organised a series of 2.5-day conferences on small animal precision image-guided radiotherapy in Europe and North America. These conferences, held roughly every two years, with about 60 speakers, have covered aspects of radiation technology, imaging, disease models in small animals and clinical translation. Participants have a background in radiation technology, radiobiology or radiotherapy. The sixth such conference will be held in the historic city of Antwerp (Belgium) and offers cutting-edge science presentations, multidisciplinary discussions and a close interaction with preclinical technology companies. Antwerp offers an ideal, lively backdrop against which to foster new collaborations and an exciting night out.
Registration: https://small-animal-rt-conference.com/
Early registration ends on 31 January 2024
Late registration ends on 31 March 2024