Production of 230Pa by proton irradiation of 232Th at the LANL isotope production facility: Precursor of 230U for targeted alpha therapy

Mitchell T Friend; Tara Mastren; T Gannon Parker; Christiaan E Vermeulen; Mark Brugh; Eva R Birnbaum; F Meiring Nortier; Michael E Fassbender

doi:10.1016/j.apradiso.2019.108973

Production of ²³⁰Pa by proton irradiation of ²³²Th at the LANL isotope production facility: Precursor of ²³⁰U for targeted alpha therapy

Appl Radiat Isot. 2020 Feb:156:108973. doi: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2019.108973. Epub 2019 Nov 5.

Authors

Mitchell T Friend¹, Tara Mastren², T Gannon Parker¹, Christiaan E Vermeulen¹, Mark Brugh¹, Eva R Birnbaum¹, F Meiring Nortier¹, Michael E Fassbender³

Affiliations

¹ Chemistry Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, P.O. Box 1663, Los Alamos, NM, 87545, USA.
² Nuclear Engineering Program, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Utah, 110 Central Campus Drive, Suite 2000b, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA; Chemistry Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, P.O. Box 1663, Los Alamos, NM, 87545, USA.
³ Chemistry Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, P.O. Box 1663, Los Alamos, NM, 87545, USA. Electronic address: mifa@lanl.gov.

PMID: 31727509
DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2019.108973

Abstract

Uranium-230 (t_1/2 = 20.8 d) is an alpha-emitting radionuclide that has potential application in targeted alpha therapy (TAT) of cancer. Its parent isotope ²³⁰Pa (t_1/2 = 17.4 d), can be produced by proton irradiation of thorium metal targets. Preliminary ²³⁰Pa production runs were performed at the Los Alamos National Laboratory Isotope Production Facility (LANL-IPF) using thin thorium metal targets and a proton beam energy of 15-30 MeV, followed by radiochemical separation of ²³⁰Pa from the irradiated target matrix. The measured ²³⁰Pa production yields were found to exceed the predicted values in most of the experiments that were performed. This data will inform further production efforts for providing ²³⁰Pa/²³⁰U for clinical trials.

Keywords: Isotope production; Protactinium-230; Proton irradiation; Targeted alpha therapy; Thorium-226; Uranium-230.

MeSH terms

Alpha Particles*
Protactinium / chemistry*
Protons
Radioisotopes / chemistry*
Thorium / chemistry*

Substances

Protactinium-230
Protons
Radioisotopes
Protactinium
Thorium