Production, isolation, and shipment of clinically relevant quantities of astatine-211: A simple and efficient approach to increasing supply

Journal Article · 20 September 2023 · Nuclear Medicine and Biology

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucmedbio.2023.108387 · OSTI ID:2331199

McIntosh, Lauren A. ^[1]; Burns, Jonathan D. ^[2]; Tereshatov, Evgeny E. ^[3]; Muzzioli, Riccardo ^[4]; Hagel, Kris ^[3]; Jinadu, Noimat A. ^[2]; McCann, Laura A. ^[3]; Picayo, Gabriela A. ^[3]; Pisaneschi, Federica ^[5]; Piwnica-Worms, David ^[4]; Schultz, Steven J. ^[3]; Tabacaru, Gabriel C. ^[3]; Abbott, Austin ^[3]; Green, Brooklyn ^[3]; Hankins, Travis ^[3]; Hannaman, Andrew ^[3]; Harvey, Bryan ^[3]; Lofton, Kylie ^[3]; Rider, Robert ^[3]; Sorensen, Maxwell ^[3] ; Tabacaru, Alexandra ^[3]; Tobin, Zachary ^[3]; Yennello, Sherry J. ^[3]

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1. Texas A & M Univ., College Station, TX (United States). Cyclotron Institute; Texas A&M University Cyclotron Institute
2. Univ. of Alabama, Birmingham, AL (United States)
3. Texas A & M Univ., College Station, TX (United States). Cyclotron Institute
4. Univ. of Texas, Houston, TX (United States). MD Anderson Cancer Center
5. Univ. of Texas, Houston, TX (United States). MD Anderson Cancer Center and Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases (IMM)

The alpha emitter astatine-211 (²¹¹At) is a promising candidate for cancer treatment based on Targeted Alpha (α) Therapy (TAT). A small number of facilities, distributed across the United States, are capable of accelerating α-particle beams to produce ²¹¹At. However, challenges remain regarding strategic methods for shipping ²¹¹At in a form adaptable to advanced radiochemistry reactions and other uses of the radioisotope. Purpose: Our method allows shipment of ²¹¹At in various quantities in a form convenient for further radiochemistry. Procedures: For this study, a 3-octanone impregnated Amberchrom® CG300M resin bed in a column cartridge was used to separate ²¹¹At from the bismuth matrix on site at the production accelerator (Texas A&M) in preparation for shipping. Aliquots of 6 M HNO₃ containing up to ≈2.22 GBq of ²¹¹At from the dissolved target were successfully loaded and retained on columns. Exempt packages (<370 MBq) were shipped to a destination radiochemistry facility, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, in the form of a convenient air-dried column. Type A packages have been shipped overnight to University of Alabama at Birmingham. Main findings: Air-dried column hold times of various lengths did not inhibit simple and efficient recovery of ²¹¹At. Solution eluted from the column was sufficiently high in specific activity to successfully radiolabel a model compound, 4-(4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-1,3,2-dioxaborolan-2-yl)aniline (1), with ²¹¹At. The method to prepare and ship ²¹¹At described in this manuscript has also been used to ship larger quantities of ²¹¹At a greater distance to University of Alabama at Birmingham. Principal conclusions: The successful proof of this method paves the way for the distribution of ²¹¹At from Texas A&M University to research institutions and clinical oncology centers in Texas and elsewhere. Finally, use of this simple method at other facilities has the potential increase the overall availability of ²¹¹At for preclinical and clinical studies.

• Research Organization: Texas A & M Univ., College Station, TX (United States). Cyclotron Institute
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Science (SC); USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
• Grant/Contract Number: FG02-93ER40773; SC0020958; SC0022550; NA0003841
• OSTI ID: 2331199
• Journal Information: Nuclear Medicine and Biology, Journal Name: Nuclear Medicine and Biology Vol. 126-127; ISSN 0969-8051
• Publisher: ElsevierCopyright Statement
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English