回旋加速器辐照钍靶生产医用α核素225Ac技术研究

Production Technology of Medical α-emitting Radionuclide 225Ac by Irradiation of Thorium Target with Cyclotron

  • 摘要: 225Ac是核医疗领域最具前景、备受市场关注的α治疗核素之一,目前全球225Ac靶向同位素药物已有30多项进入临床试验Ⅰ~Ⅲ期。由于钍靶材具有裂变截面较高、含量相对丰富、价格便宜、易于处理、热力学性能好等特性,利用高能质子加速器辐照钍靶是国际上各大实验室正在探索商业化制备225Ac较可行的主要途径之一。本研究团队2021年和北京大学刘志博团队合作完成了国内首次μCi级225Ac打靶与分离纯化实验。为实现居里级225Ac工程化生产,对不同条件下的225Ac产额进行了计算,同时分析了50~200 MeV辐照区间内227Ac/225Ac活度比的变化。模拟结果表明,54~69 MeV能量区间辐照可获得居里级225Ac,同时使227Ac占比降至最低(<0.1%)。在此基础上,本文开展了分离纯化模拟实验,利用La与Ac性质相似的特性,以La替代Ac,通过三级树脂柱串联工程化工艺,成功从模拟靶液中分离出较高纯度La,La回收率达78.60%。本文对225Ac产额和227Ac占比的理论计算及分离纯化工程化模拟工艺研究,可为后续中高能质子加速器辐照钍靶制备225Ac工程化实验提供参考。

     

    Abstract: 225Ac is one of the most promising and highly anticipated alpha therapeutic isotopes in the field of nuclear medicine. Currently, more than 30 225Ac targeted isotope drugs have entered clinical trials stages Ⅰ-Ⅲ worldwide. The 229Th/225Ac generator is currently the main production route for 225Ac. Due to the very small global stock of 229Th, the annual output of 225Ac is less than 2 Ci. The production of 225Ac through the irradiation of 226Ra faces challenges including target material shortages, difficulties in re-extraction, and radiation protection issues associated with 226Ra decay daughters. Thorium target materials have the characteristics of high fission cross-section, relatively abundant content, low price, easy processing, and good thermodynamic properties. Using high-energy proton accelerators to irradiate thorium targets is one of the main feasible ways for commercial preparation of 225Ac in major laboratories internationally. The research team collaborates with Liu Zhibo’s team from Peking University in 2021 to complete the first domestic μCi level 225Ac targeting and purification experiment. In order to achieve Curie level engineering production and application of 225Ac, it is necessary to ensure sufficient batch production of 225Ac while minimizing the content of 227Ac (half-life 21.77 a). Therefore, the selection of energy and irradiation time for accelerator irradiation of thorium targets is a crucial factor. The study focuses on the variation of the 227Ac/225Ac activity ratio within the 50-200 MeV irradiation energy range. Simulation results indicate that the 50-69 MeV energy region represents a peak production window for 225Ac concurrently with a trough for 227Ac, establishing it as an ideal interval for 225Ac production. Specifically, irradiation within the 54-69 MeV range enables the production of curie-level quantities of 225Ac while minimizing the 227Ac impurity to less than 0.1%. This result indicates that a 75 MeV proton cyclotron can be used for large-scale production of 225Ac. Utilizing this energy for production can not only reduce accelerator costs, but also obtain 225Ac with sufficient yield and low 227Ac proportion. According to the calculation results, a separation and purification simulation experiment was carried out, using La instead of Ac, and successfully separating high-purity lanthanum from the simulated target liquid through a three-stage resin column series process, with a La recovery rate of 78.60%. The loss is primarily attributed to physical adsorption and dead volume retention during the multi-stage separation process; The chemical purity is 87.18%, with the main residual impurities being light rare earth elements such as Sm, Y, and Pr. The remaining elements are primarily lanthanides, which can be completely separated from 225Ac in the actual process, achieving high radionuclidic purity that meets the requirements for medical use in terms of stable supply. Based on theoretical calculations of 225Ac yield and its proportion, as well as simulation studies of separation and purification processes, this study can provides a reference for subsequent experiments on the preparation of 225Ac from thorium targets irradiated by medium to high energy proton accelerators.

     

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