Countermeasures Program
Lovelace has developed animal models and research capabilities for evaluating medical countermeasures to mitigate the health effects from exposure to both internal radionuclides and external irradiation.
Lovelace has a clinical linear accelerator (LINAC), a Philips RT-250 orthovoltage X-ray therapy unit, and Grenz x-Ray irradiator that can perform whole-body or partial-body irradiation in large (swine, nonhuman primates [NHP]), small (mice, rats) animals, and dermal wound exposures, respectively. Differing degrees of supportive care define models for hematopoietic and gastrointestinal syndromes. Understanding these models is essential to define the mechanisms of injury and assist in developing targeted therapeutics. These acute effects models are used to evaluate therapies for ameliorating or preventing the biological effects from high doses of external irradiation. Lovelace has full GLP pharmaceutical R&D capability to bring drugs to approval under the FDA “animal rule” or for standard clinical indications.
Linear Accelerator (NHP &Swine)
- GLP validated (6.8 Gy) LD 50/60 in NHPs (Rhesus, M); field supportive care; full hematopoietic syndrome; GI
complications - Qualified LD 50/60 in Göttingen (1.94 GY) and Sinclair (2.55 Gy) Minipigs supportive care (M/F); GI complications
- Qualified PBI Sinclair Swine GI model (14Gy)
- Combined irradiation thermal burn and wound healing model in Göttingen Minipigs
Philips RT-250 (Mice & Rats)
- LD 50/60 mice (C57B, M/F)
- Radiation-induced lung fibrosis
Grenz X-Ray
- Radiation induced wound healing model (Yorkshire Swine)