Oak Ridge National Lab Vital to Isotope Production for Medical Treatments

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The Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is a crucial hub for the production of medical radioisotopes and stable isotopes used in a variety of clinical applications, from cancer treatments to lung imaging. ORNL has been supplying these vital isotopes for nearly 80 years, including in-demand radioisotopes like actinium-225, actinium-227, lead-212, thorium-228, and radium-226, as well as the stable isotope xenon-129 for lung imaging.

Why it matters

ORNL's isotope production capabilities are essential to supporting the development of new and innovative medical treatments, particularly in the growing field of targeted alpha therapy for cancer. As demand for these specialized isotopes increases, ORNL's role as a reliable domestic supplier becomes increasingly important for the U.S. healthcare system.

The details

ORNL produces over 300 different isotopes that are used by researchers, pharmaceutical companies, and medical providers. Some key isotopes supplied by ORNL include actinium-225 for targeted alpha therapy, actinium-227 which decays into radium-223 (used in an FDA-approved prostate cancer treatment), lead-212 and bismuth-212 for cancer diagnostics and therapies, thorium-228 which can be used as a generator for extracting decay products, and radium-226 which is recycled for use as a feedstock. ORNL also produces the stable isotope xenon-129, which can provide high-resolution lung imaging without ionizing radiation.

• ORNL has been producing medical isotopes for almost 80 years.
• Demand for specialized isotopes like actinium-225 and thorium-228 has been increasing in recent years as new cancer treatments are developed.

What’s next

As demand for specialized medical isotopes continues to grow, ORNL will likely need to expand its production capabilities to meet the needs of researchers, pharmaceutical companies, and healthcare providers.