The suite of powerful particle accelerators at RIKEN has a long history of dual-purpose use. As well as the central role these instruments play in fundamental nuclear physics research, they have also long been employed in the production of valuable radioisotopes.
Today, some of the strongest radioisotope demand comes from medicine, where they are used in imaging and increasingly, as cancer treatments. Currently, there is a rapidly growing interest in astatine-211, a promising radioisotope for the potential selective treatment of numerous cancers.
Fortunately, innovative new methods for producing astatine-211 in practical amounts have recently been pioneered at our facility. And, a recently launched human clinical trial at Osaka University Hospital of an astatine-211 based anticancer radiopharmaceutical, a first for Japan, is leveraging these new production abilities. (Circa 2024)
RIKEN’s particle accelerator facilities are producing astatine-211, a radioisotope with great promise for selective anti-tumor therapies, says Hiromitsu Haba.