Table 1.
Characteristics of α-Emitting Radionuclides of Potential Interest for the Therapy of Cancers
| Nuclide | Half-life | Decays | Energy α (MeV) | Production | Clinical trial status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 225Ac | 10 days | 4 α, 2 β− | 5.1–8.4 | 233U decay/cyclotron | First phase I ongoing |
| 211At | 7.2 hours | 1 α, 1 EC | 5.9 or 7.4 | Cyclotron | Two phase I published |
| 212Bi | 61 minutes | 1 α, 1 β− | 6.1/7.8 | 228Th decay/224Ra generator | Preclinical |
| 213Bi | 46 minutes | 1 α, 2 β− | 6.0/8.4 | 225Ac generator | Phase I/II |
| 223Ra | 11.4 days | 4 α, 2 β− | 5.7–7.5 | 227Ac generator | Phase I/II/III |
| 149Tb | 4.1 hours | 1 α, EC | 4.0 | Accelerator | Preclinical |
| 227Th | 18.7 days | 5 α, 2 β− | 5.7–7.5 | 227Ac generator | Preclinical |
| 212Pb/212Bia | 10.6 hours | 1 α, 2 β− | 6.1/7.8 | 224Ra generator | First phase I ongoing |
a
Although 212Pb is not an α-particle emitter, it is included in this table for its considerations in several studies as an in vivo generator of the α-particle emitter 212Bi. See Yong and Brechbiel2 for a definition of the concept.