Proposal 19Th ICNCT

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19th International Congress on Neutron Capture Therapy September/October 2020 Candidature of Granada, Spain

This document contains a proposal to the International Society for Neutron Capture Therapy for organizing the 19 th International Congress of Neutron Capture Therapy in Granada, Spain , in September or October of 2020.

Local Organizing Committee

• Ignacio Porras , Professor of Physics, University of Granada, member of ISNCT since 2008 and member of the Board of Councillors. • Javier Praena , PhD in Physics, University of Granada, member of ISNCT since 2012. • Fernando Arias de Saavedra , Professor of Physics, University of Granada, member of ISNCT since 2014. • Manuel P. Sabariego , PhD in Physics, University of Granada, member of ISNCT since 2014. • Marta Sabaté-Gilarte , PhD in Physics, CERN and University of Seville, member of ISNCT since 2014. • Rosario Núñez , PhD in Chemistry, Institute of Material Science of Barcelona. • Clara Viñas, PhD in Chemistry, Institute of Material Science of Barcelona. • José Expósito , MD, Head of Oncology, Hospital Universitario de Granada. • Juan Luis Osorio , Radiophysicist, Hospital Universitario de Granada. • Maria del Carmen Ruiz-Ruiz , PhD in Biochemistry, University of Granada. • Maria José Ruiz-Magaña , PhD in Biochemistry, University of Granada • María Pedrosa , PhD student, Institute Laue-Langevin and University of Granada

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Foreword of I. Porras

I had the honor and the pleasure of being the meeting organizer of the 7th International Meeting of Young Researchers in Boron Neutron Capture Therapy which took place in Granada, Spain, from 22nd to 26th of September 2013. When I presented the proposal to the ISNCT in 2011, the great response of all the community filled me with joy. This was an example of the great feelings that I have contrasted in all the ISNCT Congresses that I have attended. There is an interdisciplinary atmosphere of collaboration, communication and mutual encouragement that is not common in other fields of science. I am absolutely grateful to all members of this scientific community. We are taking a step ahead and proposing to the ISNCT holding one of these Congresses of the Society. We will make all our efforts, if this candidacy is approved, of maintain all the values of these meetings.

Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) is an experimental radiotherapy technique continuously benefiting from active research throughout the world. It is based on sound physical principles: the cell killing effect is produced by heavy charged ions (alpha particle and a recoil nucleus), the products of a nuclear reaction which happens inside the body by means of a low energy neutron when colliding with an specific nucleus, which in all clinical applications is Boron-10. Then, when the two non-toxic different components of the treatment (neutron field and B-10 tumor-specific compound) meets, a huge amount of energy is delivered locally, by means of a very short range radiation of a high biological effectiveness, and sparing healthy tissues.

The results from the clinical trials performed worldwide are very promising: BNCT is a safe procedure (very small adverse effects), even for patients for which conventional radiotherapy is not possible; an enlargement of the mean survival time is found for very malignant diseases such as Glioblastoma Multiforme; a large percent of recurrent malignant head and neck cancer patients (for which no other treatment was possible) have shown complete tumor remission after a treatment of normally one session, and it is an interesting option for other cancers of very bad prognosis. These latest results have motivated a renewed interest from the authorities, an example of that is that the Nuclear Physics European Collaboration Committee (NuPECC), an Expert Committee of the European Science Foundation has devoted a chapter in the recent report of 2014 “Nuclear Physics for Medicine”, aimed for future science policies.

In order to become a well-established alternative to other cancer therapies, is it important the progress in some research problems which will optimize treatments, the construction of new facilities and the outreach of this promising therapy. BNCT is facing a renovation that may increase its presence in clinical treatments in the forthcoming years. This, and recent advances from research may lead to a new era in BNCT. GRANADA CANDIDATURE FOR 19TH ICNCT

Our Spanish group is formed by physicists from the Universidad de Granada, chemists from the Institute of Material Sciences of Barcelona (ICMAB), biologists from the Center for Biomedical Research (CIBM) of the University of Granada, and medical doctors from the Granada University Hospital at the Technological Health Park (PTS) of Granada. In the latest years we have obtain a strong support from National and Regional governmental agencies and foundations, in particular we have obtained specific grants for BNCT research from the Junta de Andalucia (regional government) from 2013 to 2017, with a budget 275632 EUR, from the Spanish Ministry of Economy (2016 to 2019) with 41503 EUR, from the Spanish ACS Foundation (total 35000 EUR), the Campus for International Excellence BioTic of the University of Granada (20000 EUR in 2012, and 24000 EUR in 2014), and the most recent grant, of 143000 for the period 2016-2019 from the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC), a very prestigious foundation in Spain from particular donors. This grant comes from a very competitive process and has a strong relevance in Spain. The AECC grants will be formally given by the Queen of Spain in a formal institutional act that will place in September 22 nd .

Our main focus is the research in improvements of BNCT delivery, including the obtention of nuclear and radiobiology data for an accurate dose determination for treatment planning. For this purpose we have recently established collaborations with three very relevant nuclear facilities in Europe: the neutron time of flight collaboration at CERN, of which we are partners since 2015 for neutron cross sections measurements of relevance for BNCT, the Institute Laue-Langevin of Grenoble, France, for which we have recently signed a 3-year agreement for a research project of neutron radiobiology measurements for BNCT, the JRC-IRMM in Geel, Belgium, and the National Accelerator Center of Seville, Spain. The interest of these institutions on BNCT research can be a boost for the possible future BNCT network in Europe which is pursued by the important and active European groups which belongs to the ISNCT, and which collaborate also with those outside Europe. The celebration of the ICNCT conference will be of great help for this mission.

We understand and share the feeling of importance and strong tradition of the biennial meetings of the ICNCT since the first one hold in Cambridge (USA). A rotation of continents gives a chance to Spain to host the 2020 conference. It would be a great honor to be part of the following list:

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1st Cambridge, USA Brownell/Fairchild 1983 12-14 October 2nd Tokyo, Japan Hiroshi Hatanaka 1985 18-20 October 3rd Bremen, Germany Detlef Gabel 1988 31 May-3 June 4th Sydney, Australia Barry J. Allen 1990 4-7 December 5th Columbus, USA Albert J. Soloway 1992 14-17 September 6th Kobe, Japan Yutaka Mishima 1994 31 October- 4 November 7th Zurich, Switzerland Borje Larsson 1996 4-7 September 8th La Jolla, USA Frederick Hawthorne 1998 13-18 September 9th Osaka, Japan Keiji Kanda 2000 2-6 October 10th Essen, Germany Wolfgang Sauerwein 2002 8-13 September 11th Boston, USA Robert Zamenhof 2004 11-15 October 12th Takamatsu, Japan Yoshinobu Nakagawa 2006 9-13 October 13th Florence, Italy Aris Zonta 2008 2-7 November 14th Buenos Aires, Argentina Sara J. Liberman 2010 25-29 October 15th Tsukuba, Japan Akira Matsumura 2012 10-14 September 16th Helsinki, Finland Leena Kankaanranta 2014 14-19 June 17th Columbia, USA Satish Jalisatgi 2016 2-7 October 18th Taipei, ROC Fong-In Chou 2018

It would be exciting for us to organize, during five days, presentations of results from different fields in this interdisciplinary research, from engineering and physics to chemistry and pharmacology, and biology and clinical medicine. I hope this exchange of ideas will improve the common knowledge in the field and the rise of new collaborations.

Ignacio Porras Department of Atomic, Molecular and Nuclear Physics Director of Department University of Granada, Spain.

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Organizing Institution: University of Granada

Founded almost five hundred years ago, in 1531, during the reign of Charles V, the Universidad de Granada has grown in close symbiosis with society and has become a benchmark in terms of both the quality of its teaching and research and, with a particular emphasis, its cooperation and development activities.

The various Campuses (Aynadamar, Cartuja, Fuentenueva and Centro), which are spread all over the city, combined with the historical and heritage buildings in some of the most unique neighbourhoods of Granada, re-energize the University, and give the city a characteristic student atmosphere.

Our institution combines the wealth of experience that comes with its lengthy tradition with the dynamism and youth of almost 60,000 undergraduates; the number of students rises to 80,000 when postgraduates and students studying additional courses are taken into account. The Universidad de Granada welcomes more students from international mobility than any other Spanish university.

Our University is a reference in the health sciences. It hosts the Technological Health Park (PTS). PTS is the first park specialized in health care in Spain and one of very few throughout the world. It integrates teaching, research, patient care and business development for Health and Biomedicine. PTS Granada covers an area of 625,000 m², housing all the infrastructures and facilities devoted to its four main uses: teaching (98,000 m²), health care (120,000 m²), and research and business development (170,000 m²). In the teaching area, the University of Granada plans to invest nearly 200 million euros in the near future. This area is home of the shared facilities of the Central Library, the Main Hall and the General Services Building, as well as the faculties of Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy and Health Sciences. Teaching and health care will be reinforced with the new University Hospital, a modern building with an area of 110,000 m2, which is set to become a center of reference thanks to its high- tech equipment, excellent healthcare services and efficient management processes.

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The city

The Alhambra

Granada (pop. 250,000) is the capital of the province with the same name, situated in the eastern part of the region of Andalusia. Geographical and scenic diversity characterizes the land. There is the coastal area with its warm climate; the extensive, fertile Genil plain; and the mountainous regions with a colder climate, where we find the 3,481 meter Mulhacén, the biggest peak on the peninsula of Spain.

The city of Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains at the confluences of the Darro and Genil rivers. Its unique history has bestowed it with an artistic grandeur embracing Moorish palaces and Christian Renaissance treasures. As the last Moorish capital on the Iberian peninsula, it also holds great symbolic value.

The city of Granada has been shaped by the hills, where the old districts in the Albaycín and the Alhambra were founded, brimming with steep, narrow streets, beautiful nooks and crannies, and marvelous landscapes. The new part of the city is situated on the plain, crisscrossed by the large arteries of Gran Vía de Colón and Calle de los Reyes Católicos, and where the busy streets around the Cathedral are found.

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The Moors crossed the strait of Gibraltar in 711 and settled in what was then a small Visigoth town perched atop the Alhambra hill. Here they settled, erected walls and laid the foundation for the prosperous civilization that would follow. It was in the 9th century when Granada rose to importance after the fall of the Caliphate of Córdoba. Its splendor was reached in 1238, when Mohammed ben Nasar founded the Nasrid dynasty, and the kingdom of Granada stretched from Gibraltar to Murcia. This dynasty bore twenty kings until King Boabdil was forced to surrender Granada to the Catholic monarchs, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, in 1492. During three centuries, a magnificent and rich Islamic culture flourished, leaving Granada with architectural marvels of the caliber of the Alhambra, declared a World Heritage Site, along with the Generalife and the Albaycín.

Granada -a safe modern city- is also located in a privileged spot, halfway between the sea and the mountains: 40 minutes from the Mediterranean coast's sub- tropical climate and 30 minutes from the ski resort of Sierra Nevada.

Granada seduces you… Its fame as a cultural city, with its monuments, its history and its university, not to mention its charm and its numerous cultural and recreational activities, makes Granada a great city to explore and a great tourist destination. The city of Granada offers you many cultural possibilities, including a whole range of festivals: flamenco, jazz, tango, theatre, magic, music, dance, comics, film, poetry…

Spanish food is internationally recognized for its quality and variety and Granada is known for its "tapas". Besides, Granada is considered one of the cheapest cities in Spain and Europe.

Weather

Temperature in Granada (ºC)

6.7 8.5 11.0 12.8 16.8 21.4 24.8 24.5 20.9 15.5 10.7 7.6 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Granada has short cold winters and is very hot in July and August, it is not an uncomfortable heat because of the low humidity. May, September and October are the mildest months

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Rainfall in Granada (mm)

41 38 30 38 28 17 4 3 16 42 48 53 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec The rainfall in Granada is fairly low but occasionally every few years there can be long wet spells which can last two or 3 weeks.

Number of cloudless days in Granada

10 7 7 5 6 13 22 19 11 8 8 8 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Good weather is the norm in Granada. Andalucia has more sunshine than anywhere in Europe.

Number of rainy days in Granada

6 6 5 7 4 2 0 1 2 5 6 7 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec The chart show the amount of days when there is more than 1 litre of water per square metre.

Granada Spain is located at about 37.20°N 3.60°W. Height above sea level 680m / 2231 feet

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Facilities

Depending upon the number of participants, there are several choices for the meeting venue and for accommodation options.

Carmen de la Victoria (University Residence)

Carmen , from the Arabic word Karm (“grapevine”), is the name traditionally given in Granada to the private pleasure gardens located in the surroundings of the city. The Carmen de la Victoria became a property of the University of Granada in 1945.

The Carmen de la Victoria is located in the Albayzín Hill, in the Arab quarter Axaris, which has been full of orchards, gardens and cármenes since the Arabs inhabited Granada. The Albaycin is the oldest part of the city and the whole quarter is included in the UNESCO’s world heritage.

The Carmen has beautiful views to the Alhambra and it is at 15 minutes walk to the center of the city, also reachable by city buses which stops at the front door.

The Assembly Room, the Library and the Meeting Room are available for work meetings. They can host 75, 17 and 15 people, respectively, which makes them adequate for small groups.

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Guest accommodation is also possible in the Carmen de la Victoria, with room and full board. There are 32 single and double rooms in the Carmen de la Victoria.

All the private rooms include a bathroom, central heating, cable-TV and Wi-Fi net service . Guests are also able to use the library, the Meeting Room and the Assembly Room, as well as the four computers with Internet access.

Prices per room and per day. The room price includes full room and board .

Room SINGLE ROOM €60,00 DOUBLE ROOM €84,00 SUITE CARMEN DE LA VICTORIA €114,00 TRIPLE ROOM €107,00

Web site: http://carmendelavictoria.ugr.es/

Faculty of Sciences

The Faculty of Sciences is located in the modern part of the city, near the very city center (10 minutes walking)

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This has many very comfortable rooms appropriate for meetings of different sizes: from the Aula Magna (which holds a capacity of 600) to the salón de grados of 80, and a variety of spaces for coffee breaks, poster presentations, etc.

There are many hotels close to the Faculty of Sciences:

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Hotel Granada Center (****)

This hotel, located just in front of the Faculty of Sciences, have special rates (from 75 Eur per double room, including breakfast) for University visitors, which applies for congress attendants. Congress lunches can be organized there, because of the large restaurants and convenient prices of menus.

The hotel offers a total of 169 rooms and suites all of which are equipped with comfort and luxury. The hotel's gastronomic offering is the Al-Zagal restaurant, which boasts a high quality cuisine. Along with the restaurant, the hotel also offer guests a cafeteria and a Pub.

The MICENTER convention center located in Hotel Granada Center offers a high level professional service that guarantees the complete success of a social or business event.

Hotel Maciá Condor (****)

El Hotel Maciá Cóndor, which is in the way from the Faculty of Sciences to the city center, offers 104 room, 8 of them for families, with full bathroom TV, free Wi-Fi, and air conditioning. Rates from 50 Eur/night. Also has meeting facilities and a large restaurant

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Hotel NH Victoria (****)

Superb location at the center of the city, near the monuments and the shopping centers. Has 69 rooms. Restaurant of NH Victoria has an elegant ambience and a cuisine that fuses Granadian tradition with modern innovation. Its Salón Real meeting room can accommodate up to 90 people in a stylish and functional space.

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Hotel AC Palacio de Santa Paula (*****)

AC Palacio de Santa Paula Autograph Collection is located in the historic center of Granada near the Albaicín and Sacro Monte areas, the Cathedral and the Royal Chapel, the historical Gardens of the Triumph, the Archeological museum and, of course, the Alhambra. The beautiful AC Palacio de Santa Paula Hotel, declared an historic and artistic monument, is a restoration masterpiece. The Hotel occupies the premises of what used to be the Santa Paula Convent and the Casa Morisca in the XVI and XII centuries respectively. This luxury hotel in Granada, has also a restaurant, “El Claustro”, located in what used to be the Santa Paula convent refectory, and offers guests haute cuisine that fuses elements of traditional Andalusian gastronomy with modern culinary concepts. The hotel offers guests a wide variety of services such as a fitness center, Turkish bath and sauna. It has 75 bedrooms fully equipped with everything guests might require for a pleasant stay in one of the best five star hotels in Granada.

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Granada Congress Centre

This is the most suitable venue for a ICNCT conference.

Situated near the city center, this modern congress center has many facilities for meetings with a large number of participants: two huge auditoriums, three medium-sized halls, and smaller seminar rooms.

This center is also very well communicated with the rest of the city by bus and metro lines and with a direct bus to the airport.

There are many hotels adjacent to this center, those closest are Hotel Saray (****):

http://www.hotelgranadasaray.com/

and Hotel Spa Senator Granada****:

http://www.senatorgranadaspahotel.com/ GRANADA CANDIDATURE FOR 19TH ICNCT which may accommodate all the attendants to the congress, within 200 meters from the congress center. This part of Granada is also full of typical bars, restaurants and shops.

In the next map, location of all the places aforementioned are displayed

(correction: Hotel San Anton means hotel Spa Senator)

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Organizing committees

The present proposal is presented by Ignacio Porras, Chair of the Department of Atomic, Molecular and Nuclear Physics of the University of Granada, and member of the ISNCT. He will be the main responsible of the organization. The Local Organizing Committee will be formed by the persons listed at the beginning of the proposal.

The ISNCT is more than welcome to contribute to the organization, especially for the election of the International Organizing Committee. For this purpose, we plan to establish a continuous exchange of information with the ISNCT Executive Board and the Board of Councillors for this conference.

Abstracts and proceedings

We will continue the procedure followed by the previous ICNCT meetings. A Call for abstracts will be published in the meeting web site with an advance of more than six months and distributed by e-mail to all the BNCT community.

Abstract will be reviewed by members of the international organizing committee and experts in the field.

The book of abstract will be published either by one of the Spanish journals or by the University of Granada Press, with an ISBN or ISSN number, previously to the conference. A copy of the book of abstracts will be distributed with the conference bag when registering.

As in previous meetings, contacts will made with Elsevier for publishing the proceedings of the conference (extended papers) as a Special Issue of Applied Radiation and Isotopes, a few months after the celebration of the conference.

Presentations

The contributions to the meeting will follow the same categories as in the previous meetings:

° Plenary lectures (by invitation) ° Contributed talks (selected from the abstract received) ° Posters (with short oral announcements)

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If the number of presentations allow it, parallel sessions will try to be reduced as much as possible. The interdisciplinary spirit of BNCT makes lectures from a particular specialized field be potentially interesting for experts of a related one.

Social programme

Welcome reception with a music performance at “La Luna” (terrace of the Congress Palace)

Guided visit to the Cathedral of Granada and Royal Chapel (where the tombs of the Catholic Kings are).

Guided night visit to the Alhambra

Excursion to Sierra Nevada (top mountain of Spanish peninsula, 30 km from Granada) or to the beach (70 kms. from Granada)

Conference dinner (an interesting option is at La Chumbera , which, if weather allows, will be hold al fresco in the large terrace with magnificent views of the Alhambra and the city, ending with a Flamenco Show).

Banquet at the terrace of La Chumbera

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