Flexible Peptide Decorated Polyaminocarboxylate Ligands for Selective Extraction of Radiotherapeutic Metals for Targeted Alpha Cancer Therapy

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Nuclear fission produces radioactive isotopes with decay products encompassing a large proportion of the Periodic Table. Many of these isotopes are considered as waste and are currently disposed of following separation. However, a number of medically useful therapeutic radioisotopes are contained within this waste stream and remain an untapped resource; specifically alpha therapeutic agents such as Ac-225 and Pb-212 (originating from uranium and thorium) which may be used for cancer treatment. Reactor produced radionuclides require rapid and selective separation in a few simple steps before they can undergo bioconjugation to a suitable targeting vector to make them viable as cancer therapeutics. However, the coordination chemistry of these radionuclides differs and achieving direct selective extraction remains challenging. We have recently developed a one pot procedure to selectively extract the long-lived minor actinides from the lanthanides using flexible multidentate polyaminocarboxylate extractants functionalised with amino acids. These are resistant to gamma radiation, operate over a wide pH range,exhibit rapid complexation kinetics; they are easily modified to alter the selectivity for a given metal based on ionic radii and coordination donor preferences.