China breaks new ground in medical alpha isotope production
Alpha isotopes, often described as the "nuclear warhead against cancer", possess high-energy, short-range properties that precisely destroy cancer cells with minimal damage to healthy tissue, offering significant clinical value. However, the separation and purification of alpha isotopes present a significant technical challenge. For years, China's reliance on imports has hindered the development of its next-generation radiopharmaceuticals.
Now, the China Spallation Neutron Source — a major national scientific facility in Dongguan, Guangdong province — has overcome these production challenges by achieving mass production of three key medical alpha isotopes, with an annual output expected to treat over one million patients by 2031.
"Nearly 5 million new cancer cases are diagnosed in China each year, accounting for one-quarter of the global total, with a mortality rate exceeding 50 percent," said Wang Sheng, director of the Spallation Neutron Source Science and professor at the Institute of High Energy Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Wang explained that once alpha isotopes enter cancer cells, the radiation they emit can break both strands of the cancer cell's DNA, causing irreversible damage. Additionally, alpha isotopes can induce a "bystander effect" by signaling molecules released from the destroyed cancer cells, which can lead to the death of nearby cancer cells that were not directly exposed to the radiation. This makes them highly valuable for targeted therapy in advanced-stage tumors.
Wang's team has broken free from the long-standing reliance on costly and unstable global supply chains. By utilizing the China Spallation Neutron Source, they harnessed excess beam current from the high-energy linear accelerator to irradiate a stacked thorium target, the raw material for isotope production.
Through a self-developed separation and purification process, scientists were able to extract three key isotopes from the hundreds of isotopic species produced. These are radium-223, actinium-225 and lead-212, which have shown excellent efficacy in treating prostate cancer and neuroendocrine tumors.
Tests confirm a radionuclide purity exceeding 99 percent, with quality comparable to imported ones and marking a successful multipurpose application of the major national scientific facility.
"Compared with traditional nuclear reactors, the China Spallation Neutron Source produces alpha isotopes without relying on neutron irradiation, eliminating the proliferation risks of highly enriched uranium. It also offers flexible production capacity, broader access to raw materials, and significantly lower costs," said Professor Dai Xiongxin who is responsible for the alpha isotope industrialization project.
On Saturday, the Spallation Neutron Source Science Center signed a cooperation agreement with the China Isotope & Radiation Corporation to combine their strengths in research, development, and industrialization to accelerate the transition of China's self-developed alpha radiopharmaceuticals from laboratory research to clinical application.
Dai added that the center is advancing the construction of a dedicated alpha isotope production line to support large-scale clinical applications. Once completed, this facility will have an annual production capacity capable of supplying raw materials for nearly one million patient doses. This expansion is expected to significantly reduce costs, making these treatments more accessible and affordable for patients.
Given the short half-life of these isotopes — which makes long-distance transportation impractical — the project may foster a full-chain industry for targeted alpha therapies in Guangdong in the future, covering from raw material production, drug manufacturing to distribution, Dai added.
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