DOE Isotope Program Highlights

Scientists Identify an Alternative System for Producing the Medical Isotope Scandium-44
An easy-to-use system can increase the availability of PET imaging agents to more patients.

Researchers Improve Production for Short-Lived Scandium Radioisotopes
Hard to produce in quantities and purities appropriate for human use, scandium radioisotopes have potential for imaging cancer.

Tunable Bonds: A Step Towards Targeted At-211 Cancer Therapy
Scientists can tune the strength of astatine-211 bonds with chemicals called ketones, laying the groundwork for a new class of radiopharmaceuticals.
![Image courtesy of Brown, M.A., Metal Oxide Sorbents for the Separation of Radium and Actinium, Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 59, 20472-20477 (2020). [DOI: 10.1021/acs.iecr.0c04084] The separation of radium and actinium is a major component in the production, distribution, and purity of targeted alpha therapy isotopes. This image shows the separation profiles of radium (purple) and actinium (green) across a zirconia resin.](/sites/default/files/styles/center_news_homepage/public/2023-07/ip-2023-05-b_original.png?h=c508fa7a&itok=OY-0g7A7)
Scientists Develop Inorganic Resins for Generating and Purifying Radium and Actinium
Research advances the chemistry and improves the purity of isotopes for targeted alpha therapy used in the treatment of cancers.

New Strategy Can Harvest Chemical Information on Rare Isotopes with a Fraction of the Material
A newly proposed approach aids chemical studies of rare, toxic, radioactive, and precious isotopes by requiring 1,000 times less material.

Getting Purer Berkelium, Faster than Ever
This new method individually separates heavy metals — an actinide chemist’s dream.

Fighting Cancer on Earth and in Space Using High-Energy Protons
Scientists on Earth use high-energy protons to create isotopes to detect and treat cancer. In space, however, these same high-energy protons can pose a risk to spacecraft and the health of the astronauts traveling in them.

Cancer Countermeasures on a Column
University researchers produce a novel method of shipping the promising medical isotope astatine-211

New Approach to Radioisotope Power Sources for Improved Efficiency, Long Life
NextGen power sources may satisfy the need for long-term, compact power for use in remote or extreme environments.

Enclosing Radiation-Loaded Particles to Better Seek and Destroy Cancer
Promising study details how radioactive agents could be sent directly to cancer cells.