The University of Missouri is shaping the future of nuclear medicine by expanding research production.
Every year, tens of millions of people rely on nuclear medicine to diagnose and treat different types diseases, including cancer. Over 10,000 hospitals worldwide use radioisotopes in medicine, and four crucial radioisotopes used in treatments for liver, thyroid, pancreatic, and prostate cancers have just one domestic producer: the University of Missouri.
The university is currently constructing two additions to the existing research reactor, building a new radioisotope science center, and planning to build a second next-generation research reactor that would expand radioisotope research and production.
“It takes a lot of work for a lot of awesome people to keep MURR running reliably every single day, and we want to continue that mission in the future,” Michael Hoehn II, Nextgen MURR program director, said. “[We want] to support generations to come and really put the University of Missouri, and the state of Missouri, as the premier destination for nuclear science, technology, and radio pharmaceutical science.”
MURR Expansions
In order to meet the growing demand for the critical isotopes used in both diagnosis and treatment of cancer, MURR is expanding.
Early next year, three new production lines will begin operation, according to Uriah Orland, former MURR director of communications. A second addition to provide storage and support for those production lines is slated to come online later next year.
The added production lines will allow MURR to produce small batch quantities of lutetium-177, a radioisotope used in cancer treatments and clinical trials. Right now, MURR produces large batch quantities of the radioisotope for commercial production of Pluvicto and Lutathera, the two nuclear medicines that it is currently used in.
Pluvicto treats advanced prostate cancer that has spread to other parts of the body and isn’t responding to treatments that lower testosterone levels. The medicine locks onto a protein found in prostate cancer cells and delivers radiation to try and kill it. Luthathera similarly binds to a protein, somatostatin receptor, and delivers radiation that may kill it. The drug is used to treat patients with gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors that are somatostatin receptor positive.
Orland added that the expanded production lines will allow MURR to start making terbium-161, a similar radioisotope to lutetium-177 in both chemical makeup and half-life. Terbium-161 is capable of depositing energy over a much shorter range, which potentially will make it more effective at damaging single tumor cells, according to the National Library of Medicine.
“In the U.S. [MURR] will become the domestic supply so that pharmaceutical companies, startups, [and] researchers can start using terbium as a potential isotope to treat cancers in the future as well,” Orland said.
MURR has done a lot of research with terbium-161 and plans to start producing that for customers in the next coming year, Orland explained.
TOP: University of Missouri Nuclear Research Reactor’s core: MURR’s
reactor with its core situated in a 30-foot-deep pool of water.
Bottom: Model of University of Missouri Nuclear Research Reactor’s core.
Credit: Schaefer Photography via Adobe Stock
Nuclear medicine also faces a challenge that most other medicines don’t; nuclear medicine rapidly loses its radiation, making it less effective. Lutetium-177 has a half-life of about 6.65 days, while terbium-161 has a half-life of about seven days, meaning that half of the radioactive atoms in the isotope will decay in that time. Because of the quick decay of radioactivity, MURR has to consider when the drug would get to patients to properly produce the radioisotopes.
Once the radioisotopes are done in the reactors, they are sent to the drug companies that can package it into Lutathera or Pluvicto and send it out to hospitals depending on treatment orders.
“Medical isotopes are liking melting ice cubes and have to be made each week and shipped on time to ensure patients receive the right amount of treatment dose. It is a logistics exercise to coordinate the initial isotope production, shipping, drug processing, patient scheduling and treatment timing — everything must stay on schedule for the patient to receive treatment.” Orland said.
He said that they produce the radioisotopes on Monday and Thursday and ship on Tuesday and Friday. What they ship on Monday is typically in patients by the end of the week and what they ship on Friday is typically in patients before the following Wednesday.
Hoehn added that the upgrades being made to MURR could one day also support production from NextGen MURR.
Radioisotope Science Center
Because the radioisotopes produced by MURR have such a small window of effectiveness, MU is attempting to cut down on transit time to change how treatments reach patients. The new Radioisotope Science Center at Discovery Ridge Research Park will be approximately 31,250 square feet and will have two production lines that allow MU to make research-grade isotopes as well as FDA-approved isotopes.
Orland said that the RSC will support the Department of Energy’s isotope program, which provides isotopes to researchers.
“They don’t have the ability to make FDA-approved and GMP-approved isotopes,” Orland said. “So they looked at the players around the country that are a part of the isotope program, and they recognized that MURR is an expert in this field. So they came to us and said, ‘So we want to build a center there that we can process isotopes that are either produced at MURR or possibly at one of our national labs.’”
The center is being funded by $40 million in total shared investments by the Department of Energy and the state of Missouri, and it is expected to be operational in early 2029. This allows the center to be owned by MU and operated by MURR in partnership with the Department of Energy.
Orland added that MURR will manufacture radioisotopes for the Department of Energy, which will allow them the opportunity to share GMP- or FDA-approved radioisotopes with researchers who are doing clinical trials or lab testing for imaging or disease treatments.
He said that the center’s proximity to MURR, about five miles, can make huge differences in efficiency for researching and producing radioisotopes.
“Instead of having to ship those isotopes across the country, where it’s 12 hours of transit time, and you lose 12 hours of activity or potential doses from that isotope, now you’re driving it 10 minutes,” Orland said.
The central location allows MURR to shorten the process and potentially expand production to allow for more doses of the radioisotopes. The Discovery Ridge Research Park is also the preferred location for NextGen MURR, which Orland said can make the production process as efficient as it can be.
NextGen MURR
MURR is already the only domestic producer for several potentially lifesaving radioisotopes. With NextGen MURR, the university seeks to more than triple that output while also opening the door for production of new radioisotopes.
NextGen MURR is the University of Missouri’s initiative to build a new 20-megawatt research reactor that will be able to do what MURR does with potential for higher neutron intensity that could make additional products that the existing reactor can’t, as well as do things quicker.
“When we say ‘NextGen MURR,’ we’re saying at least three times [more than current] capacity to be able to support radioisotopes, supply chains, and the radio pharmaceutical production,” Hoehn said. “It’ll continue to expand research potential as well. So neutron beam science, material science, neutron activation analysis — we’re gonna build those capabilities into NextGen MURR.”
He added that he sees strong partnerships with industries that need to develop next-generation materials, such as cell phone battery technology, and national labs. The NextGen reactor will also have capabilities for neutron transmutation doping of silicon, which can convert silicon into semiconductors.
“This could allow MURR to partner with the semiconductor industry and then they’ll turn these into wafers, semiconductors that are used for quantum computing, high-powered electronics, it’s used for really specialized applications,” Hoehn said.
He explained that they are designing NextGen MURR with a “reliable, adaptable innovative, safe, and efficient” design principle to make the flow of radioisotopes more efficient. He said in some places it can be somewhat autonomous, which will speed up the process and limit the number of people who need to touch the radioisotopes.
The current MURR reactor employs about 450 total employees, and Hoehn said the university’s calculations expect over 450 total employees and students, eventually at NextGen MURR. The new Radioisotope Science Center will employ about 20 to 30 people. They also see the potential for NextGen MURR to attract businesses to Columbia who want to work in the NextGen MURR ecosystem.
“It’s not just expanding nuclear isotope science and the supply chain,” Hoehn said. “It’s securing those domestic [medicine] needs, expanding our research potential, and also being a workforce development center for really highly specialized skill set individuals. And we see, eventually, that pipeline is going to serve many aspects of the nuclear ecosystem of the health community.”
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
Radioisotopes
An unstable form of a chemical element that releases radiation
as it breaks down and becomes more stable.Radiopharmaceuticals
Medicine containing small amounts of radioisotopes used to diagnose and treat diseases like cancer.
Half-life
The time it takes for half
of a radioisotope to decay
into another isotope.FDA approval
The official regulations ensuring a drug is safe
and effective for its intended use.GMP compliance
A system of regulations ensuring products are consistently produced, tested, and controlled to safety and quality standards.
Research-grade isotopes
Isotopes specifically manufactured for scientific experimentation rather than commercial use.
Neutron flux
A measure of the intensity
of neutron radiation in
a given area.
