Alpha DaRT®
Unleashing the potential of alpha-emitting therapy to push the boundaries of cancer care.
A New Modality: Alpha DaRT® – Intratumoral Alpha-Emitting Radiotherapeutics
Alpha DaRT® seeks to stand out from standard cancer treatments as an inside-the-tumor treatment platform, designed to deliver high-energy therapy exactly where it is needed, without harsh side effects.
Radium‑224: The Ideal Isotope for Inside‑the‑Tumor Therapy
Alpha DaRT® is engineered by using Radium-224, a radiotherapeutic which is uniquely suited for localized, intratumoral alpha therapy.
Controlled Diffusion Mechanism
High-Energy Alpha Emission
Reliable, On-Time Supply
Optimized Therapeutic Window
Effective Even in Oxygen‑Deprived (Hypoxic) Tumors
One-Time Treatment Approach
Radium-224’s Natural Decay Chain
Radium-224 naturally and predictably decays by generating a cascade of daughter radioisotopes, thereby emitting several high-energy alpha particles as it stabilizes and is cleared from the body. The alpha particles which are emitted during this process then scatter and diffuse up to 2.5 millimeters in diseased cells. The Alpha DaRT technology was designed to leverage this process, by positioning the Radium-224 for controlled diffusion to create a tightly confined therapeutic zone within the tumor.
Why Use Alpha Particles?
Alpha particles have a high Linear Energy Transfer (LET), delivering intense energy over an extremely short distance. This means that alpha particles are powerful enough to cause direct, irreparable damage to the cancer cells’ DNA, while also confining the damage to only a few cell layers. The combination of high local potency and minimal penetration underpins Alpha DaRT’s intratumoral approach: maximizing tumor destruction while minimizing exposure to surrounding healthy tissue.
The DNA Destruction Mechanism
At the cellular level, alpha particles induce clustered, double-strand breaks to the DNA inside the cancer cells. These tightly grouped breaks overwhelm the tumor cell’s DNA repair mechanisms, disrupting critical genetic functions and leading to cell death through apoptosis or mitotic catastrophe.
Conformal Precision and Tumor‑Selective Diffusion
Alpha DaRT is designed to deliver a broad, yet tumor-confined zone of effect, maximizing tumor destruction while minimizing exposure to surrounding healthy tissue. This is due, in part, to the fact that daughter radioisotopes of the Radium-224 diffuse differently in healthy and tumor cells. The chaotic structure of tumor cells’ vasculature traps the daughter isotopes, thereby enabling them to diffuse therapeutically up to approximately 2.5 mm from the source. By contrast, the organized structure of healthy tissue clears away the daughter radioisotopes from the body, limiting their opportunity to diffuse effectively. The result is a conformal, precise treatment with selective impact on tumor tissue.
How Alpha DaRT® Is Delivered
As an intratumoral Radium-224 therapy, Alpha DaRT is tumor-agnostic may be potentially applicable to a wide range of solid tumors. The primary challenge, therefore, is how to deliver the therapy accurately to the tumor. Alpha Tau has developed a portfolio of delivery systems designed to accommodate diverse anatomical sites, tumor depths, and procedural preferences that integrate seamlessly into established physician workflows.
From Localized Control to Potential Immune System Activation
Inside‑out tumor destruction can release tumor-specific antigens, which may activate the immune system, offering the possibility of responses that extend beyond the treated area. While this phenomenon is still currently being explored, the biological rationale for pairing localized alpha therapy with immuno‑oncology agents is compelling and is a promising focus for future clinical exploration. In the meantime, Alpha DaRT’s core value proposition remains clear: precise intratumoral treatment with minimal systemic exposure and the convenience of a single, well‑planned administration session.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Alpha DaRT differ from conventional radiation therapy and systemic treatments like chemotherapy or immunotherapy?
Alpha DaRT aims to deliver ultra-high-energy alpha particles directly inside the tumor using Radium-224 sources. Unlike external beam radiation, which passes through healthy tissue to reach the tumor, Alpha DaRT is designed for its effect to remain concentrated within the tumor, with the goal of minimizing collateral damage. In contrast to systemic therapies such as chemotherapy or immunotherapy, which circulate throughout the body and often impact both healthy and cancerous cells, Alpha DaRT is intended to act primarily at the tumor site. This precise, localized approach seeks to reduce side effects and may enable treatment in a single session, whereas systemic treatments typically require multiple cycles and may cause broader toxicity or immune-related reactions.
I have heard a lot about radiotherapeutics (radiation medicine) for cancer treatment; in what way is Alpha DaRT a radiotherapeutic?
Alpha DaRT is considered a radiotherapeutic (radiation medicine) because it uses a radioisotope—Radium‑224. Radium‑224 undergoes a natural decay chain that produces a series of short‑lived daughter isotopes, releasing a series of alpha particles over a few days, while activity fades as the decay sequence completes. Because the Alpha DaRT is designed to be administered intratumorally, this natural decay chain process takes place inside the tumor, aiming for a sustained, tightly confined radiation effect which is localized at the cancer site without exposing the whole body.
How is the Alpha DaRT treatment administered?
Treatment generally begins with the development of a personalized treatment plan based on CT or MRI imaging and planning software to map the contours of the tumor in consultation with the physician. The treatment plan will provide the physician with the recommended Alpha DaRT source allocation and placement to achieve optimal tumor coverage. The physician then inserts the Alpha DaRT sources into the tumor based on the customized treatment plan, via Alpha Tau’s proprietary delivery systems, which have been specially developed for delivery based on the tumor location. Depending on where the tumor is located, the Alpha DaRT sources may either be removed by a physician a few weeks following insertion, or else will remain in the body as the activity naturally fades and the Alpha DaRT sources become inert.
Could Alpha DaRT potentially be combined with other systemic therapies?
Yes. Early research suggests that Alpha DaRT may potentially be combined with systemic therapies such as immunotherapy or chemotherapy. The rationale is that when Alpha DaRT destroys tumor cells, it may release tumor‑associated antigens, which could help stimulate the immune system and complement the effects of systemic treatment. While this is still under investigation, the possibility of synergy between Alpha DaRT and systemic approaches is an important and exciting area of focus of ongoing research.