Jean-Mathieu BeauregardM.D., M.Sc., FRCPC

Dr. Beauregard is an assistant professor in the Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine at Laval University, a clinician scientist in the Oncology axis of the CHU Research Centre of Quebec – Laval University, and a specialist in nuclear medicine in the Department of Medical Imaging of the CHU of Quebec. Dr. Jean-Mathieu Beauregard completed his residency in nuclear medicine and his master’s degree in radiobiology at the Université de Sherbrooke. He completed additional training at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne, Australia from 2007 to 2010, during which he developed a strong interest in molecular imaging and radionuclide therapy for neuroendocrine tumors. Since his return to the CHU of Quebec, he has set up a new radiopeptide therapy program for neuroendocrine tumors. His research program is multidisciplinary and integrates translational research projects in medical and clinical physics.

Dr. Beauregard’s main clinical research project is the radiopeptide therapy (or PRRT for peptide receptor radionuclide therapy) of patients with neuroendocrine tumors (NETs), where a radioligand (ex. 177Lu-octreotate), binding to the somatostatin receptor expressed by NETs, is administered in several cycles to deliver radiotherapy said internal. We have developed an innovative approach, the personalization of the administered activity, to achieve safe target doses of radiation absorbed by healthy tissue, in order to maximize the irradiation of tumors, without increasing the treatment’s toxicity. Our preliminary results show that we are substantially increasing the radiation dose to tumors compared to the standard regimen where all patients receive the same activity at each cycle.

At the same time, we are working to improve and simplify dosimetry based on SPECT / CT quantitative imaging. To this end, we are fine-tuning the calibration of the SPECT / CT cameras and optimizing the sequence of serial imaging of patient performed after each PRRT treatment cycle in order to achieve the highest precision possible with a minimum of imaging sessions. These serial studies allow us to evaluate the biodistribution of the radiopharmaceutical and its kinetics in different tissues and tumors to derive absorbed radiation doses.

In collaboration with Dr. Girish M. Shah, we are also conducting in vitro and in vivo translational research projects, evaluating novel approaches to PRRT potentiation. One of these is the coadministration of radiosensitizing molecules, such as poly (ADP-ribose) and polymerase (PARP) inhibitors. These inhibit the repair of damages caused to the tumors’ DNA by the PRRT, and thus amplify the therapeutic effects. Another strategy we are studying is to pre-treat NET cells with molecules that can increase their somatostatin receptor expression, thereby promoting increased PRRT radiopharmaceutical accumulation within these cells.

Finally, Dr. Beauregard is also a co-investigator and collaborator on several other clinical research projects using, among other things, positron emission tomography (PET / CT) molecular imaging of prostate cancer and neurodegenerative disorders. Dr. Beauregard supervises graduate students and clinical fellows as part of a complementary training program in nuclear oncology.