Börje Larsson (scientist)

---

Professor Börje Larsson, 1931–1998: A Multidisciplinary Scientist

Börje Larsson (1931-1998) was a Swedish scientist in the field of radiation physics/biology. He made pioneering contributions in the development of proton surgery and therapy and was one of the inventors of the brain radiation surgery device called “The Gamma Knife”. He also contributed to the development of Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) and was the initiator of the Uppsala Positon Emission Tomography (PET) program in the early 70th.

Börje Larsson

Biography

Börje Larsson was born on June 3rd 1931 in Stockholm. When he was seven his parents moved to Norrköping, a Swedish town about 160 km southwest of Stockholm, where he received his schooling. His graduated studies led to a BSc at Stockholm University in 1955 and MSc in electrical engineering at the Royal Institute of Technology in 1958.

During his university studies, Larsson developed an interest in interdisciplinary scientific issues. While still a student, he was invited to come to Uppsala by the Nobel Prize laureate, Theodor Svedberg, to work with biomedical applications at the Gustaf Werner institute at the newly developed external beam at the Gustaf Werner synchrocyclotron. He presented 1962 his highly acclaimed doctoral thesis (On the application of a 185 MeV proton beam to experimental cancer therapy and neurosurgery: a biophysical study).

Larsson made initially parts of his research at the Department of Zoo-physiology in Uppsala. In 1962, he became an associate professor in the subject ‘Radiation Biology’ and was responsible for a number of research students in that area. Successful research contributed to his becoming Assistant Professor in 1966 and Professor in 1979 in the newly established subject, Physical Biology. He also occasionally worked as a research supervisor at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Uppsala. In his role as supervisor and examiner at Uppsala University, Larsson assisted around 30 PhD-students.

In 1991 he was offered a professorship in Medical Radiation Biology at Zurich University. During his years in Switzerland he succeeded in conducting basic radiation biology research in Zürich combined with applied research at the Swiss national accelerator center, the PSI in Villigen, near Zurich. He led a research group that spanned the sciences, just as his group in Uppsala had done, and gave assistance to more researchers in obtaining their doctoral degrees.

External proton beam therapy

Following careful experimental preparation conducted by Larsson, the world’s first proton irradiation of a cancer patient was carried out in 1957 in Uppsala. Larsson was the driving force in the ensuing work to set up technical and clinical programs on the proton irradiation of tumor patients, that took place either in collaboration with clinicians at Uppsala Academic Hospital or at the Karolinska Hospital in Stockholm. Together with colleagues, Larsson developed new dosimetric methods and he carried out experiments in which the biological effects of protons were analyzed. Largely through Larsson’s work, proton therapy has become a well-known procedure within cancer treatment. In different ways he participated in new and planned accelerator canters for cancer treatment in the USA, Europe and Japan.

The Proton Knife

Larsson’s pioneering work in tumor treatment was followed by a unique contribution to the development of radiation surgery, an area in which he is considered to be one of the most eminent pioneers. His contribution included both the physical and biological aspects of radiation surgery, and in collaboration with pathologists and neurosurgeons, he studied the physiology of radiation-induced damage. In the clinic, radiation surgery treatments of different brain diseases were carried out, including Parkinson’s disease and arterial-venous blood vessel malformations.

The Gamma Knife

In the late 60th it was obvious that the Gustaf Werner Cyclotron needed to be upgraded, a process that meant a standstill for several years and a serious interference with the successful clinical research around proton therapy and surgery. To be able to continue, at least partly, neurosurgical research, a device that in today’s terminology is known as ‘The Gamma Knife’ was constructed and built during the 70th. The project was a collaboration between Larsson, who was responsible for the physical/technical aspects, and the neurosurgeon Lars Leksell. A company ELEKTA AB, funded by Leksell, commercialized the device that still is developed and sold worldwide.

Year 1979 the rebuilding of the cyclotron started and 1986 the new institute The Svedberg laboratory (TSL), including the upgraded cyclotron, was inaugurated. The profile of the new institute was highly influence by the bio-medical research of Larsson, with good facilities for proton therapy and surgery, radiation biology, radionuclide production and radiochemistry.

BNCT

Larsson took an early interest in Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT), in which tumor tissue is ‘loaded’ with the element boron (enriched 10B). Following neutron irradiation, the boron atoms capture low energy neutrons (especially thermal neutrons), causing a nuclear reaction producing high energy lithium and helium ions that has capacity to kill cancer cells. Larsson actively pursued this development in both Switzerland and Sweden, where the research reactor in Studsvik was reconstructed for a clinical treatment program. However, the need of a dedicator reactor and the technical difficulties involved has prevented the technique to become a clinically established treatment method.

PET

In the proton therapy project it was early understood that the high energy proton beam in the patients produced radionuclides that in vivo labelled various biomolecules. During the 60th several preclinical studies were made and a fundamental study of the hot-chemistry of carbon-11 was initiated. In the 1970 Larsson approached the newly installed professor in organic chemistry, Göran Bergson. Together they formed a research group of two research students, Hans Lundqvist and Bengt Långström, the embryo of what should become the Uppsala PET Centre. The PET technique is today clinically established and is important in biomedical research as well as in the formation of new pharmaceuticals.

Targeted Radionuclide Technique

Within the BNCT project the idea of targeting i.e. the development of substances for selective binding to tumor cells, was raised. An inspiration was also, most likely, the fast progress of development of antibodies during the 60th. Also, to substitute the boron atom with a radionuclide was a natural step to take. On the initiative of Larsson this research was taken up by a PhD student Jörgen Carlsson and has led to further development of the biological aspects of specific "targeting" of radionuclides to cancer cells. This work has, together with several colleagues, led to several preclinical studies and some clinical studies

Various

Larsson had many international collaborators. He was adviser to many large international accelerator canters, which were developed for radiation therapy and radiation surgery and was guest researcher at many foreign universities. For a couple of years, he was guest researcher at the Institut Laue-Langevin in Grenoble. He organized many international meetings; for instance, the Seventh International Symposium on Boron Neutron Therapy held in Zürich in 1996.

Larsson was a frequent participant in public debate and was greatly interested in making scientific findings more widely known. Together with Sven Kullander, he wrote two popular scientific books. Mikrokosmos was published in 1984 by Studieförlaget and Out of Sight—from Quarks to Living Cells was published in 1994 by Cambridge University Press.

For his contribution to science, Larsson was awarded several national and international prizes over the years. The ‘Guldkuggen’ for technical development of the gamma knife should be mentioned here, as well as the prestigious Fairchild prize, presented in Boston for development work within radiation surgery.

Börje Larsson was a unique creator of ideas and inspiration, whose scientific contribution will make its mark in many research disciplines for many years to come. His generosity and friendliness enabled many to share his ideas and to benefit from his achievements.

This article "Börje Larsson (scientist)" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Börje Larsson (scientist). Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.

---