Nano Radioisotope Sources For Targeted Radiation Therapy

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Radioisotopes used in targeted therapy are often labeled to targeting biomolecules. Different radioisotope and biomolecule usually require different linkage to bind the radioisotope to the targeting biomolecule. This pr oposed research is to create modular nano radioisotope sources for improving tumor targeting. Using fusion at the nano-scale, a class of new and low cost radioisotope sources can be created with the most desirable energy spectrum possible and can be modula rized and functionalized to revolutionize targeted delivery. Phase I of the proposed research will focus on the creation and functionalization of the nano-fused radioisotope sources. These nano radioisotopes are, potentially, ideal to be functionalized as a modular labeling block especially useful for targeted therapy. In vitro characterization of modularized and functionalized nano radioisotope sources will include radioactivity containment measurements in simulated body fluid. The labeling of such nano-fu sed radioisotope sources to selected biomolecules will be the focus of the Phase II research. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Tumor targeting is similar to a smart bomb aiming and destroying its target. The complication is to discover a working linkage to couple between a selected radioisotope (the bomb ) and a chosen targeting biomolecule. This project takes the first step in creating a plug-and-play tumor targeting system by modularizing radioisotope sources using fusion at the nano-scale such that linkages t o radioisotopes are simplified to ONE reliable and standard linkage.