This Monday, Balázs Ács, Managing Director of Oncotherm Kft. represented our company at the Hungarian-Uzbek Business Forum in Budapest. The purpose of the event was to encourage the business representatives of the two countries to establish new economic relations and business cooperation. A high-ranking diplomatic and business delegation from Uzbekistan was present and we had the opportunity to introduce our company. They were really interested in our technology and also invited us to Uzbekistan on the 21st of October where further negotiations will take place about future possibilities.

We are grateful for this opportunity, and we hope that this event marks the beginning of fruitful cooperation in order to strengthen the bilateral relationship between the two countries!

We are happy to announce that the Oncothermia Journal Volume 32
is now available for download!

Oncotherm considers it very important to inform those who are interested in the latest results of hyperthermia and the trends in the emerging field of oncology. The articles of this volume partly cover presentations of clinicians using hyperthermia and indicate impressive results in the 39th Conference of International Clinical Hyperthermia Society (ICHS).

Our goal is to provide relevant and up-to-date information for your clinical practices. We hope that this volume is beneficial to your daily treatment decisions with its valuable observations.

Please enjoy the latest 32nd volume of the Oncothermia Journal!

https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/11/11/1838

Absztrakt

The role of Heat Shock Proteins (HSPs) is a “double-edged sword” with regards to tumors. The location and interactions of HSPs determine their pro- or antitumor activity. The present review includes an overview of the relevant functions of HSPs, which could improve their antitumor activity. Promoting the antitumor processes could assist in the local and systemic management of cancer. We explore the possibility of achieving this by manipulating the electromagnetic interactions within the tumor microenvironment. An appropriate electric field may select and affect the cancer cells using the electric heterogeneity of the tumor tissue. This review describes the method proposed to effect such changes: amplitude-modulated radiofrequency (amRF) applied with a 13.56 MHz carrier frequency. We summarize the preclinical investigations of the amRF on the HSPs in malignant cells. The preclinical studies show the promotion of the expression of HSP70 on the plasma membrane, participating in the immunogenic cell death (ICD) pathway. The sequence of guided molecular changes triggers innate and adaptive immune reactions. The amRF promotes the secretion of HSP70 also in the extracellular matrix. The extracellular HSP70 accompanied by free HMGB1 and membrane-expressed calreticulin (CRT) form damage-associated molecular patterns encouraging the dendritic cells’ maturing for antigen presentation. The process promotes CD8⁺ killer T-cells. Clinical results demonstrate the potential of this immune process to trigger a systemic effect. We conclude that the properly applied amRF promotes antitumor HSP activity, and in situ, it could support the tumor-specific immune effects produced locally but acting systemically for disseminated cells and metastatic lesions.

Click here for more details about the special issue

A special issue about local hyperthermia in the journal of “Cancers” (IF>6) is a great opportunity for the field of hyperthermia in oncology. The final goal is to accept this method as a standard together with conventionally applied therapies.

The issue highlights the recent developments and shows the modulated electro-hyperthermia as a valued member of the group of local hyperthermia. The editors expect contributors from the worldwide application of the local hyperthermia methods in oncology.

Another article by Prof. Dr. Andras Szasz has been published in Cancers.

Abstract:

(1) Background: Hyperthermia in oncology conventionally seeks the homogeneous heating of the tumor mass. The expected isothermal condition is the basis of the dose calculation in clinical practice. My objective is to study and apply a heterogenic temperature pattern during the heating process and show how it supports radiotherapy.
(2) Methods: The targeted tissue’s natural electric and thermal heterogeneity is used for the selective heating of the cancer cells. The amplitude-modulated radiofrequency current focuses the energy absorption on the membrane rafts of the malignant cells. The energy partly “nonthermally” excites and partly heats the absorbing protein complexes.

(3) Results: The excitation of the transmembrane proteins induces an extrinsic caspase-dependent apoptotic pathway, while the heat stress promotes the intrinsic caspase-dependent and independent apoptotic signals generated by mitochondria. The molecular changes synergize the method with radiotherapy and promote the abscopal effect. The mild average temperature (39–41 ◦C) intensifies the blood flow for promoting oxygenation in combination with radiotherapy. The preclinical experiences verify, and the clinical studies validate the method.

(4) Conclusions: The heterogenic, molecular targeting has similarities with DNA strand-breaking in radiotherapy. The controlled energy absorption allows using a similar energy dose to radiotherapy (J/kg). The two therapies are synergistically combined

Full article: Andras Szasz: Heterogeneous Heat Absorption Is Complementary to Radiotherapy

Russian Health Care Week is the largest health care project in Russia, which brings together international trade shows, congresses, forums, conferences and other events. The event is supported by Russian authorities and governments, legislative, federal and regional executive bodies in health care, manufacturing and tourism.

Oncotherm Kft. took part on the conference at the stand of HEPA in December 2021. We had the opportunity to meet several Russian companies at the venue and due to our succesful meetings we can improve our business.

Our participation was financed by the NRDI Fund.

The 39th ICHS conference were hold online on 5th November. If you did not have the opportunity to attandee on the live event, we have some great news: the presentations are available on YouTube.

We hope that the international health situation make it possible to organise an onsite event and meet in person in 2022.

We participated in an exhibition organized by the Hungarian Ministry of Finance for the participants of the “Health Industry Support Program” that was established to reduce the dependence on foreign suppliers in the health industry. Balázs Ács, Managing Director of Oncotherm Kft. demonstrated our achievements during the first year of the Support Program to Mihály Varga, Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister, and Gábor Gion, Secretary of State for Finance.

We are thankful for this opportunity, and we hope that at the end of the Program we will be able to enhance the presence of Hungarian companies in the health industry!

The 39th Conference of the International Clinical Hyperthermia Society took place on Zoom on 5 November 2021.

It was delightful that 100 participants could arrange their presence from 19 countries: Greece, North Macedonia, Netherlands, Spain, Italy, South Korea, Brasil, Germany, Japan, Australia, Pakistan, United Kingdom, Hungary, Portugal, Switzerland, Belgium, Taiwan.

Presentations are going to be available on our YouTube Channel soon. In the meantime, we recommend watching last year’s conference presentations.

We would like to personally thank the speakers for their amazing presentations, we really appreciate the time what they spent on making and presenting these interesting topics. This conference would not have been a success without their involvement.

Much obliged to Prof. Elisabeth Arrojo for her work as a president.

We hope we can meet you in person next year!

ESTRO is the most important congress in Europe to the community of radiation oncology. The annual conference was held in Madrid between 27-31 of August. There is a great exhibition at the conference as well and our company participated just like in the previous years. The interested parties could visit our impressive booth 680, have a look to the device, and learn more about the method.

In addition to the lectures and the exhibition, prizes are awarded each year among the specialists as a sign of professional recognition. It is a great honor that Dr. Carrie Minnaar and Dr. Elisabeth Arrojo – who are both hyperthermia specialists – were nominated to the Poster Award in this year.

Oncotherm Kft. would like to congratulate to Dr. Carrie Minnaar who had won the award with her poster (Modulated electro-hyperthermia improves three year survival in cervical cancer patients). It is a great success for the hyperthermia method as well.