In Protvino, on the basis of the Kurchatov Institute National Research Center, preparations are nearing completion for the launch of Russia’s first ion-beam therapy center. Opening is scheduled for the end of 2026, and throughput will be up to 20 patients per shift. The center will combine scientific and medical capabilities as part of a broader research cluster.
The treatment will be based on carbon-ion therapy. Unlike traditional radiation therapy and proton therapy, heavy carbon ions deliver energy directly to the tumor while minimizing exposure to surrounding tissues. The method uses conformal irradiation, in which the radiation precisely follows the shape of the tumor.
The biological advantage of the technology is that carbon ions damage both strands of DNA in cancer cells. This is especially important for treating radioresistant tumors that respond poorly to standard methods. There are about 15 to 20 such centers worldwide, and the Russian one will be the first.
In the future, treatment may be available through federal quotas. The project in Protvino is not only about medicine, but also part of a larger scientific infrastructure. A fourth-generation synchrotron, SILA, is also being created there — a facility that makes it possible to study the structure of matter at the atomic level. Such technologies are in demand in biomedicine, pharmaceuticals and industry, making the cluster an important growth point for several sectors at once.
