Astatine Paving the Way for a New Era in Cancer Radiopharmaceuticals
Image courtesy of Jon Burns, University of Alabama at Birmingham Schematic of the astatine-ketone bond breaking to release free astatine-211.
The Department of Energy's Office of Isotope R&D and Production, within the Office of Science, supports cancer therapy research by developing new and improved pathways to medical isotopes.Astatine-211 (At-211), a rare isotope with a half-life of less than 8 hours, has shown significant promise for targeted alpha therapy (TAT) due to its ability to emit alpha particles, which cause intense cellular damage while minimizing harm to healthy tissue. However, little was known about At-211's chemical behavior until new research uncovered its ability to bond with ketones, chemicals commonly found in cancer-targeting molecules. This discovery paves the way for new At-211 TAT drugs, potentially improving the precision and effectiveness of At-211 based therapies. This research, supported by the DOE Office of Science, Texas A&M University, and other collaborators, marks an exciting step toward revolutionizing cancer treatment through advanced targeted therapies.
