Missouri research reactor looks at global isotope market

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- A global shortage of radioactive isotopes used to diagnose and treat cancer patients has officials at the nation's largest campus research reactor vying to fill the void.

Scientists from Argentina, Egypt, India and 15 other countries are descending upon the University of Missouri Research Reactor this week to coordinate research and spur commercial development of the substance, called technetium-99.

The isotopes, which are also referred to as molybdenum-99 (a related radioactive substance), are injected into patients undergoing cardiac stress tests or body scans for cancer, heart disease and bone or kidney illnesses.

"Hospitals and doctors are having to prioritize diagnostic procedures for really critical care," said Ralph Butler, director of the Missouri reactor.

Butler estimates the Missouri reactor could produce 50 percent of the medical isotopes needed in the surging American market, provided it receives the necessary Food and Drug Administration approval and identifies a corporate partner to help defray anticipated production costs of $40 million.

Further compounding the problem are the risks associated with highly enriched uranium, which is used not only in the cancer-detecting isotope but in nuclear weapons. Currently, Canada imports some highly enriched uranium used from the U.S. for use in isotopes.

With growing concerns about the use of nuclear weapons by terrorists, nuclear scientists -- including those at Missouri -- are working to incorporate a safer alternative fuel known as low-enriched uranium, which is commonly found at commercial power reactors.

The U.S. Department of Energy has been working since 1978 to make it possible for universities such as Missouri and Massachusetts Institute of Technology to use low-enriched uranium. But some universities haven't been able to convert their reactors to allow them to use the safer fuel.

"There is broad technical agreement that (low-enriched uranium) is viable" for medical isotopes, Goldman said. "Anybody that would start now would use LEU."

An Argentinean reactor that sells molybdenum-99 to nine countries already manufactures its isotopes with low-enriched uranium.

"The more you can produce these isotopes closer to where it's being used is an advantage, in cost and security," he added.

Fueling the need for more production of what experts call "moly-99" is the surge in nuclear medicine technology, said Natesan Ramamoorthy, director of the International Atomic Energy Agency's physical and chemical sciences division.

"Use has been expanding. The facilities are getting older and older. So we need more players," he said.