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Alan Perkins

Professor of Medical Physics, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences

Contact

  • workRoom Medical Physics A76 Medical School
    Queen's Medical Centre
    Nottingham
    NG7 2UH
    UK
  • work0115 970 9192
  • fax0115 970 9301

Biography

Prof Perkins is associated with a broad range of research work.

His long standing use of nuclear probes for intra-operative work has led to involvement in the development of a high resolution imager for surgical and bedside applications.

For over 25 years he has undertaken gamma scinitgraphy of drug delivery in patients and healthy normal subjects. This has led to the development of oral dose forms with reduced problems for swallowing.

Collaborations between Prof A C Perkins in the Medical Physics Department, Pharmaceutical Sciences and Clinical groups in Oncology at both Nottingham City Hospital and University Hospital have resulted in the detailed study of the use of targeted radionuclide therapies. A series of experimental and clinical studies have been carried out over the past 10 years for the targeted treatment of cancer. We have been developing a novel method of targeted radiotherapy for bladder cancer that is administered directly into the bladder using a simple urinary catheter. This approach is well tolerated by patients and reduces the side effects experienced by current treatments. The treatment is based on a monoclonal antibody C595 that reacts with theMUC1 mucin core antigen, a protein that is associated with a number of tumour including bladder cancer. Using the same C595 antibody collaborations with the Group at St George's Hospital in Sydney Australia have resulted in some interesting findings on the distribution of the MUC1 antigen in carcinoma of the prostate, ovary and pancreas. The antibody has been developed as a vector for the more potent alpha emitting radionuclides with high linear energy transfer with the aim of improving the effectiveness of this form of therapy. Further grant funding is being sought to gtake this work to the clinical phase.Recent developments in the application of combinatorial chemistry approaches coupled with PCR amplification techniques allow for the selection of small oligonucleotides from degenerate libraries, which bind to almost any molecule.

In a joint collaboration with the Department of Chemistry at the Open University Prof Perkins is exploring the use of previously selected aptamers form the basis for the development of high affinity and specificity complexes to MUC1 into radiopharmaceutical complexes that offer reduced immunogenicity and excellent tumour penetration properties. The use of aptamers as much smaller targeting agents offers several advantages. These molecules penetrate tumour much faster than whole antibodies, reach peak levels in the tumour earlier, and clear from the body faster, thereby reducing toxicity to healthy tissues. In addition, use of aptamers is expected to overcome the frequently encountered human anti-mouse antibody response as they are non-immunogenic, and their rapid uptake and faster clearance makes them extremely promising vehicles for cytotoxic and imaging agents to be delivered to tumour .

Publications.

Perkins AC and Vivian G

Molybdenum Supplies and Nuclear Medicine Services

Nucl Med Commun. 2009;In Press

Da Pieve C, Perkins AC, Missailidis S.

Anti-MUC1 aptamers: Radiolabelling with 99mTc and biodistribution in MCF7 tumour bearing mice.

Nuclear Medicine and Biology 2009;In Press

Ng AH, Ng KH, Dharmendra H, Perkins AC. A Low-Cost Phantom for Simple Routine Testing of Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) Cameras. Applied Radiation and Isotopes.

2008;In Press.

Dansereau RJ, Crail DJ and Perkins AC. In Vitro Disintegration Studies of Weekly Copy Alendronic Acid Tablets (70 mg) Available in the United States.

Current Medical Research and Opinion 2009;25:449-452.

Raine-Fenning NJ, Nordin NM, Ramnarine KV, Campbell BK, Clewes JS, Perkins AC, Johnson IR. Determining the relationship between three-dimensional power Doppler data and true blood flow characteristics: an in-vitro flow phantom experiment. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2008; 32: 540-550.

Raine-Fenning NJ, Nordin NM, Ramnarine KV, Campbell BK, Clewes JS, Perkins AC, Johnson IR. Evaluation of the effect of machine settings on quantitative three-dimensional power Doppler angiography: an in-vitro flow phantom experiment. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2008; 32: 551-559.

Bowling TE, Cliff B, Wright JW, Blackshaw PE, Perkins AC, Lobo DN.

The effects of bolus and continuous nasogastric feeding on gastro-oesophageal reflux and gastric emptying in healthy volunteers: a randomised three-way cross-over study.

Proc Nutr Soc. 2008;67(OCE):E110.

Bowling TE, Cliff B, Wright JW, Blackshaw PE,. Perkins AC, Lobo DN. The effects of bolus and continuous nasogastric feeding on gastro-oesophageal reflux and gastric emptying in healthy volunteers: a randomised three-way crossover pilot study.

Clin Nutrition. 2008;27:608-613.

Perkins AC, Blackshaw PE, Hay PD, Lawes SC, Atherton CT, Dansereau RJ. Wagner LK, Schnell DJ, Spiller RC.

Esophageal transit and in vivo disintegration of generic alendronate tablets and branded risedronate tablets: A Single-Center, Single-Blind, Six-Period Crossover Study in 20 Healthy Female Subjects. Clin Therapeutics 2008;30:834-844.

Dansereau RJ, Crail DJ and Perkins AC. In vitro disintegration and dissolution studies of once-weekly copies of alendronate sodium tablets (70 mg) and in vivo implications.

Current Medical Research and Opinion 2008;24:1137-1145.

Chua S, Perkins AC, Pearson D, Ganatra R.

Mobile PET in the UK: legislative, regulatory and cost-effectiveness considerations

Nucl Med Commun. 2008;29:98-102.

Perkins AC, Clay D, Lawes SC.

A simple low cost phantom for the quality control of SPECT cameras.

World J Nucl Med. 2007;7:35-39

Helal AM, Przeslak AJ, Morgan DA, Perkins AC.

The Effect of Patient Geometry on the Dose Distributions for IMRT Plans of Head and Neck Cancer.

Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol). 2007;19(3):S31.

Perkins Alan

Playing Dirty: The Poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko

Jane's Police Review 9 February 2007 pp24-25.

Helal AM, Przeslak AJ, Morgan DA, Perkins AC.

The Effect of Patient Geometry on the Dose Distributions for IMRT Plans of Head and Neck Cancer.

Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol). 2007;19(3):S31.

Perkins AC, and Missailidis S

Radiolabelled aptamers for tumour imaging and therapy.

Q J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2007;51:1-5.

Expertise Summary

Prof Perkins has extensive experience in the biological use of radioactive substances for imaging, drug delivery and targeted therapy.

He has the study of the gastrointestinal transit of orally administered medicines. His work has studied the swallowing of tablets and capsules with particular emphasis on the drugs used in the treatment of osteoporosis.

Collaborations between Prof A C Perkins in the Medical Physics Department, Pharmaceutical Sciences and Clinical groups in Oncology at both Nottingham City Hospital and University Hospital have resulted in the study of targeted radionuclide therapies. Experimental and clinical studies have been carried out over the past 20 years for the targeted treatment of cancer. The treatment is based on a monoclonal antibody C595 that reacts with the MUC1 mucin core antigen, a protein that is associated with a number of tumour including bladder cancer. Using the same C595 antibody collaborations with the Group at St George's Hospital in Sydney Australia the antibody has been developed as a vector for the more potent alpha emitting radionuclides with high linear energy transfer with the aim of improving the effectiveness of this form of therapy. Further grant funding is being sought to take this work to the clinical phase.

Teaching Summary

Medical Physics

Nuclear Medicine

imaging

Research Summary

Developing methods of studying physiological processes and drug delivery in man including radiolabelled conjugates and molecular imaging probes to target therapies in a range of conditions including… read more

Recent Publications

Current Research

Developing methods of studying physiological processes and drug delivery in man including radiolabelled conjugates and molecular imaging probes to target therapies in a range of conditions including bladder cancer. In particular, we are developing new methods for assessing gastrointestinal transit.

Future Research

  • Development of a hybrid hand held camera for imaging gamma and optical photons. in collaboration with the Space Research Centre, University of Leicester.
  • TSB Award: 2012 Nasal delivery of peptides for the treatment of osteoporosis. Collaboration with Dr Richard Pearson and Critical Pharmaceuticals.
  • TSB Award 2012: Probiotic sensing in the GI tract. Collaboration with Dr Ian Fisk, Food Sciences Sutton Bonington.
  • Targeted delivery of probiotics using enteric oral formulations.
  • Hypoxia imaging project in collaboration with Siemens/PETnet.
  • Preclinical imaging if infection. Collaboration with Professor P Williams and Dr P Hill UoN
  • Imaging neurodegeneration and prion disease. Collabortaion with the MRC toxicology unit University of Leicester.

School of Clinical Sciences

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Queen's Medical Centre
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