Gadolinium-157 nucleus (157Gd) (157Gd)

Gadolinium-157 is a stable isotope of the rare-earth element gadolinium, distinguished by having the highest thermal neutron capture cross-section (approximately 254,000 barns) of any naturally occurring stable nuclide (Sears, V. F., 1992, Neutron News). This property makes it the central component of Gadolinium Neutron Capture Therapy (GdNCT), an experimental binary cancer treatment (De Stasio, G., et al., 2001, Cancer Research). In GdNCT, gadolinium-containing compounds—often based on existing MRI contrast agents—are administered to accumulate within tumor tissues. When the tumor is subsequently irradiated with a beam of low-energy thermal neutrons, the Gadolinium-157 nuclei capture neutrons and undergo a nuclear reaction that releases a spectrum of high-energy radiation, including Auger electrons, internal conversion electrons, and gamma rays (Hosmane, N. S., et al., 2012, Boron Science). These emissions, particularly the short-range Auger electrons, cause dense ionization and lethal double-strand breaks in the DNA of the host cancer cells (Brugger, R. M., 1992, Medical Physics). Despite its potential, the clinical application of Gadolinium-157 as a therapeutic target faces challenges regarding the delivery of sufficient concentrations to the nucleus of tumor cells and the management of gadolinium-related toxicities such as Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis (Grobner, T., 2006, Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation).

Other names

Gd-157157GdGadolinium-157 isotope

Gadolinium Neutron Capture Therapy (GdNCT) involving the capture of thermal neutrons by the 157Gd nucleus, resulting in the emission of Auger electrons, internal conversion electrons, and gamma radiation that cause localized DNA damage (Hosmane, N. S., et al., 2012, Boron Science).