UAB Chemists Advance Targeted Alpha Therapy With Astatine-211 and Theragnostic Nanomaterials
核心洞察
Two University of Alabama at Birmingham PhD candidates are conducting research aimed at advancing Targeted Alpha Therapy, an emerging approach to cancer (搜索) treatment that uses radioactive materials to target cancer cells.
One researcher focuses on astatine-211 (搜索), a radioactive isotope that releases powerful alpha particles over a very short distance, potentially destroying cancer (搜索) cells while limiting damage to healthy tissue.
The second researcher is developing nanomaterials that can accommodate multiple metal ions, enabling combined therapeutic alpha radiation and diagnostic imaging in a single nanoparticle.
Two PhD candidates in the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Chemistry are conducting research that could help advance Targeted Alpha Therapy (TAT), an emerging approach to cancer (搜索) treatment that uses radioactive materials to target cancer cells while minimizing damage to healthy tissue. Jehan Perera and Imansha Madhushan, both originally from Sri Lanka, work in the laboratory of Jonathan Burns, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Chemistry, and are now in the fourth year of their doctoral programs.
Their research is supported by grants from the U.S. Department of Energy (搜索) Office of Isotope R&D and Production, including the Horizon-broadening Isotope Production Pipeline Opportunities program, and the DOE Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR). Each student has published two first-author papers in peer-reviewed journals.
Astatine-211 and Redox-Controlled Radiolabeling
Perera earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura and an MS in analytical chemistry from the University of Colombo before coming to UAB. His research focuses on astatine-211 (搜索) (At-211), a radioactive isotope with potential applications in TAT. According to the source materials, the isotope releases powerful alpha particles over a very short distance, offering the potential to destroy targeted cancer (搜索) cells while limiting damage to surrounding healthy tissue.
His work has resulted in multiple publications, including studies on carbon–astatine chemistry and high-yield At-211 radiolabeling. He has presented at national and international scientific meetings, including the World Astatine-211 (搜索) Meeting and the ACS National Meeting, as well as programs at Brookhaven and Los Alamos national laboratories.
"I am most proud of contributing to the development of redox-controlled chemistry for At-211. We were able to take fundamental observations about astatine chemistry and use them to develop practical radiolabeling strategies," Perera said.
A Nanoparticle Platform for Therapy and Imaging
Madhushan earned his bachelor's degree in chemistry from the Institute of Chemistry, Ceylon, before coming to the United States as the first person in his family to pursue a PhD. At UAB, he joined Burns' research group with little experience in nanoparticle synthesis or radiochemistry and, with mentorship and guidance, developed the skills to conduct research in both areas.
His research focuses on developing nanomaterials for TAT. The nanomaterial he studies can accommodate multiple metal ions, creating the possibility of combining cancer (搜索) treatment and diagnostic imaging in a single nanoparticle. One radioisotope could provide the therapeutic alpha radiation, while another could provide an imaging signal. This approach, known as theragnostics, could contribute to more precise and personalized cancer treatment.
One of Madhushan's proudest accomplishments has been publishing two first-author research papers within his first two years of graduate school. "For me, those publications represent more than academic achievements; they reflect how much I have grown as a researcher and what can be accomplished through curiosity, persistence, strong mentorship, and access to the right opportunities," he said.
Collaborative Science Across Disciplines
Both students credit Burns and their research collaborators with helping them develop as independent scientists, and both describe international collaboration as central to their approach to complex problems.
"Scientific research is inherently international, and working with researchers from different countries, institutions, and scientific backgrounds has broadened the way I think about solving complex problems," Madhushan said. "Different people often approach the same scientific question from completely different perspectives, and I have learned that combining those perspectives can lead to stronger and more creative solutions."
Perera described a similar evolution: "My experiences in Sri Lanka and the United States have taught me that complex scientific problems are often best solved through collaboration."
As they look toward careers beyond UAB, both students hope to continue contributing to the field of radiochemistry and to technologies that can improve cancer (搜索) treatment.