NURA
Medical radioisotopes are certain radioactive substances frequently used in nuclear medicine for cancer diagnoses. However, nuclear medicine is at a tipping point: targeted cancer treatments with therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals are on the up. In this process, a carrier molecule transmits a therapeutic radioisotope to the cancer cells in the body. As soon as the carrier molecule has attached to the cell, the radioactive isotope will irradiate the cancer cell with the intention of disrupting the DNA of the tumour cell. The tumour cell dies, shrinks and may possibly even disappear entirely.
Radiopharmaceuticals for cancer treatment
Pioneering research
With its NURA project, SCK CEN significantly increases its contribution to the fight against cancer. By pooling its knowledge and expertise in terms of radiopharmaceuticals, NURA contributes to the development of the next-generation radiopharmaceuticals. More specifically, NURA performs game-changing research into radiopharmaceuticals for treating different types of cancer in cooperation with clinical and industrial partners.
Life sciences: strong combination of expertise and infrastructure
Discovering, testing and producing new radioisotopes? This is only possible with the right expertise and infrastructure. SCK CEN is proud of its internal specialisations within the fields of radiobiology, radiochemistry and dosimetry. In combination with the right equipment to treat radioactive material and with irradiation facilities BR2 – and later also MYRRHA – our research centre holds a leading position. Now, with our NURA project, we are shifting up a gear in the fight against cancer.
Strengthen the NURA team
-
Researcher
Researchers are situated at the crossroads between (radio)chemistry, (radio)biology, dosimetry and pharmaceutical sciences and have disposal of unique research infrastructure.
-
Engineer
Engineers are the backbone of the NURA project. They design, build and test various applications within NURA: from advanced labs to large-scale nuclear facilities.
-
Management & support
Project managers supervise the many projects within NURA. NURA is also looking for technical experts who ensure the safety and efficiency of our laboratories. This allows our lab technicians to perform unrivalled research within a challenging but flexible environment.