Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Production of High Specific Activity 155Tb, 161Tb and 203Pb for Research and Clinical Applications: Effective Target Design, Target Material Recycling and Radioisotope Separation (Final Technical Report)

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:2478865
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [2];  [2];  [3];  [3];  [1];  [1];  [1]
  1. Univ. of Missouri, Columbia, MO (United States)
  2. Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States)
  3. Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
The overall objectives of this project were (1) to develop methods for the production and separation of a diagnostic and therapeutic or “theranostic” pair of radioisotopes, terbium-155 (155Tb) and terbium-161 (161Tb) and (2) to train graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in technologies and methods used in radionuclide production. Radionuclides can be incorporated into drugs called radiopharmaceuticals that target a specific disease (e.g., cancer). The need for theranostic radionuclides is escalating with the clinical translation of radiopharmaceuticals due to their implementation in personalized medicine, which has demonstrated enhanced patient treatments. High purity and high specific activity radionuclides are critical for theranostic agent development, for example to maintain diagnostic image quality, to minimize radiation dose to the patient, and to increase uptake in the targeted tissue (e.g., tumor), especially in the case of receptor- and antigen-targeted agents. The 155Tb (diagnostic) and 161Tb (therapeutic) radioisotopes that were generated through this project are a theranostic pair with demonstrated potential for the development and translation into individualized, targeted, and dosimetry-driven radiotherapies. However, the development of such radiotherapies has been hindered by the lack of a routine and reliable supply of these isotopes in the United States. Methods for the production, separation, and supply of 155Tb and 161Tb were investigated and developed in this project. Further, the strong emphasis throughout the project on the training of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows has helped to ensure and enhance the nuclear science workforce through the training of the next generation of highly qualified scientists in nuclear and radiochemistry. This grant also continued a collaboration between scientists at the University of Washington (UW), the University of Missouri (MU) and Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL). All three institutions were involved in the project, but to different degrees on the various tasks through which the overall objectives were met.
Research Organization:
Univ. of Missouri, Columbia, MO (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Office of Isotope R&D and Production (IRP)
DOE Contract Number:
SC0022235
OSTI ID:
2478865
Report Number(s):
DOE-MU--22235; MU Project 00071611
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English