UW-Madison breaks ground on new radioisotope cyclotron facility

The University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health has broken ground on a project to add two cyclotrons to its existing medical research infrastructure, increasing the university's radioisotope production capacity by two- to eightfold, depending on the particular isotope. The $62 million project-funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, and private donations-is expected to be completed by May 2028.

The new 13,000-square-foot facility, which is being built within the Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research complex, is slated to host "the first modern alpha-particle cyclotron of its kind installed in the United States," according to the university.

University Isotope Network: UW-Madison has been producing radioisotopes for the past decade as a member of the Department of Energy University Isotope Network and supplying them for "theranostics" applications that combine precise diagnostic imaging with targeted radiation therapies for patients with cancer and other illnesses.

The new cyclotrons will be able to produce radioisotopes of high medical value, which the older technology could not produce. One such radioisotope is astatine-211, a rare alpha-emitting isotope with certain unique and beneficial characteristics. As noted last year by Texas A&M University, "At-211 is often called the 'perfect' or 'Goldilocks' isotope because it can deliver just the right amount of radiation to destroy cancer cells while leaving the surrounding tissue unharmed. This breakthrough isotope has demonstrated strong potential against blood cancers, ovarian tumors, and certain brain cancers."

Jonathan Engle, director of the UW-Madison Cyclotron Research Group, explained why the enhanced radioisotope production capabilities at the university could lead to research breakthroughs and improved types of diagnosis and treatment. "Doctors and scientists across the nation are eager to design more effective treatments and improve diagnostic scans, but they're being held back by a national shortage of medical isotopes," he said. "By building this national resource in Madison, we're supplying the essential raw materials needed to accelerate cancer and Alzheimer's research while ensuring patients get faster access to pinpoint treatments."

Diagnostics, clinical trials, workforce training: In addition to therapeutics for cancer and other diseases, Engle said, the radioisotopes produced by the new facility will be useful for such diagnostic medical imaging technologies as positron emission tomography and single photon emission computed tomography. Still other uses for the expanded facility will include support for theranostics clinical trials and training for health care workers in fields including molecular imaging, radiopharmaceutical science, and precision medicine.

According to UW-Madison provost John Zumbrunnen, "Scientists, clinicians, engineers, radiochemists, pharmacists, and health professionals will learn here. They will get hands-on experience across the entire continuum, from isotope production and radiochemistry to molecular imaging and theranostics. Very few institutions can offer training that spans both the foundational science a cyclotron enables and its clinical translation into precision diagnostics and targeted treatments. UW-Madison will be one of them."