A Radium-223 microgenerator from cyclotron-produced trace Actinium-227

The alpha particle emitter Radium-223 dichloride ((223)RaCl2) has recently been approved for treatment of late-stage bone metastatic prostate cancer. There is considerable interest in studying this new agent outside of the clinical setting, however the supply of (223)Ra is limited and expensive. We have engineered a (223)Ra microgenerator using traces of (227)Ac previously generated from cyclotron-produced (225)Ac. Radiochemically pure (223)RaCl2 was made, characterized, evaluated in vivo, and the source was recovered in high yield for regeneration of the microgenerator.

Applied radiation and isotopes : including data, instrumentation and methods for use in agriculture, industry and medicine. 2016 Nov 04 [Epub ahead of print]

Diane S Abou, Juile Pickett, John E Mattson, Daniel L J Thorek

Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA., Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, 11100 Johns Hopkins Road, Laurel, MD 20723-6099, USA., Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Cancer Molecular and Functional Imaging Program, Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA. Electronic address: .