MODULAR ISOTOPE PURIFICATION – THE PRODUCTION OF 211AT

A primary goal of the Department of Energy (DOE) Isotope Program is to support research and development of methods and technologies that assure availability of critical radioisotopes. High-purity isotope products are essential for high-yield protein radiolabeling for radiopharmaceutical use. This project will develop a system to automate the production of alpha-emitting therapeutic radionuclides such as astatine-211 (211At). These radionuclides have been identified as candidates in the treatment of leukemia and lymphoma. Existing manual methods are tedious, time consuming and pose risks to technicians. In this project, isolated and proof-of-concept steps in the multi-step chemical purification protocol will be engineered for inclusion in an integrated commercial system. The key unit operations necessary for this system will be examined and optimized.Diagnostic sensors will be developed and incorporated to ensure that the final system meets the standards of current Good Laboratory Practices (cGLP). Specifically, steps that employ solid phase extraction (SPE), neutralization, and de-watering of the conceived 211At purification process will be studied during phase I.