Plenary Talk: Access to Astatine: Accelerating solutions for society

Targeted alpha therapy (TaT) harnesses potent α-emitters to deliver high-linear-energy radiation directly to malignant cells by a biologically active targeting vector while sparing healthy tissue. Astatine-211, with its 7.2-hour half-life and single α-emission, is an isotope of interest for TaT. At-211 is not naturally occurring and must be produced by an accelerator. The most common production route is a relatively straightforward (a,2n) reaction on a natural Bi target. Fortunately, there are a handful of existing accelerators, and several new machines that will come on-line in the future, that can produce the required 28.8MeV alpha particle beam. Simultaneous to the developments in At-211 production there are exciting advancements in At-211 chemistry. New methods of separation from the Bi matrix have been developed and experiments have elucidated the fundamental chemistry of astatine, thus enabling the downstream radiolabeling of small molecules. This talk will explore the efforts to add At-211 to the suite of alpha emitters (including Ra-223 and Ac-225) poised to advance cancer treatment.

Sherry J. Yennello is a University Distinguished Professor and Regents Professor of Chemistry, director of the Cyclotron Institute, and holder of the Bright Chair in Nuclear Science at Texas A&M University. An internationally renowned nuclear chemist and expert in heavy-ion reactions, Yennello has made transformational contributions to our understanding of nuclear reactions induced by radioactive nuclei along with the properties of neutron-rich matter and how the elements were made within the stars. She is a global authority in the use of isotopically selected beams to explore the dynamics and thermodynamics of nuclear collisions, including one of the first-ever experiments induced by a radioactive beam. She currently oversees a leading U.S. program in developing alpha-emitting radioactive isotopes that are transforming nuclear medicine as an effective treatment for inoperable tumors. Yennello is a fellow of the American Chemical Society (ACS), the American Physical Society (APS) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Her transformational research has been recognized with the ACS’s highest honor in her field — the ACS Glenn T. Seaborg Award in Nuclear Chemistry — as well as the ACS Garvin-Olin Medal.