New approaches for implementing short-lived actinides in medicine

Targeted α-therapy (TAT), a branch of nuclear medicine in which α-emitting radioisotopes are localized to diseased tissue and deliver damaging radiation via the use of a biological targeting vector, has the potential to transform how diseases are treated. Two key steps required for TAT include 1) stably binding the radionuclide of interest, and 2) covalently linking the labeled complex to a biological targeting vector. Thus, it is crucial to identify systems that can form complexes with these metals that are highly inert in vitro and in vivo. This presentation will describe recent advances in our understanding of the coordination chemistry and implementation of therapeutically relevant actinide isotopes with the goal of developing highly effective agents for TAT.