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In a groundbreaking development, US researchers have decoded the properties of actinium, an element discovered 125 years ago, unlocking its potential to revolutionize cancer treatments. This advancement could provide new hope for millions of people affected by the deadly disease worldwide.
Actinium, discovered in 1899 by French scientist André-Louis Debierne, holds the 89th spot on the Periodic Table. Despite its long history, actinium has remained enigmatic, found only in minute quantities and requiring specialized facilities for study. However, a team from the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has made significant strides in understanding this element’s capabilities.
The team’s research revealed that actinium behaves differently than its lighter counterpart, lanthanum, challenging previous assumptions about its properties. This breakthrough opens new avenues for both nuclear energy and medical applications, especially in the form of actinium-225, an isotope showing promise in targeted alpha therapy (TAT).
TAT is a cutting-edge cancer treatment method that delivers radioactive elements directly to cancer cells using biological delivery mechanisms like peptides or antibodies. As actinium decays, it emits energetic particles that travel a short distance, effectively killing cancer cells while sparing healthy tissue.
Rebecca Abergel, an associate professor of nuclear engineering at the University of California-Berkeley, highlighted the significance of this discovery. “If we can engineer proteins to bind the actinium with high affinity, and either be fused with an antibody or serve as the targeting protein, that would really enable new ways to develop radiopharmaceuticals,” Abergel explained.
To explore actinium’s potential, the researchers employed a novel method to create crystals with only 5 micrograms of pure actinium—an amount roughly one-tenth the weight of a grain of salt and invisible to the naked eye. They refined the actinium using a complex filtration process to remove contaminants, then attached it to a metal-trapping molecule known as a ligand. This bundle was encased inside a protein purified by Roland Strong’s team at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, resulting in a “macromolecular scaffold.”
The crystals, grown for a week inside the Heavy Element Research Laboratory, were cryocooled in liquid nitrogen and irradiated with X-rays at Berkeley Lab’s Advanced Light Source. X-ray analysis revealed the compound’s three-dimensional structure, demonstrating how actinium interacts with surrounding atoms.
Although this study primarily used actinium-227, the researchers emphasized the potential of actinium-225 for TAT, especially given its successful application in prostate cancer treatments.
While these findings mark the beginning of a promising journey, the researchers are optimistic about the future. “The final word has not yet been said, but the initial prose is the melodious beginning of a future scientific opera which would herald a new era of cancer treatment,” they stated.
This discovery not only sheds light on a 125-year-old element but also paves the way for innovative cancer therapies that could significantly improve patient outcomes and save countless lives.
