Radioactive microspheres made of nanoporous glass for radiation therapy

Abstract

A radiation therapy product of spherical nanoporous glass beads that are loaded with a radionuclide. Each microsphere has a diameter in the range of about 25 to 60 microns. The pore structure of each microsphere occupies between about 30 and 90 percent of the microsphere's volume, and the inner surface area measures between about 30 and 500 m 2 /g. One or more radionuclides is embedded in the nanopores of each microsphere. In a preferred embodiment the product has at least two radionuclides, a first radionuclide achieves a therapeutic effect and a second radionuclide has nuclear medical diagnostic properties. Preferably the therapeutic radionuclide is Y-90 and the diagnostic radionuclide is In-111, Ga-68, or Ga-67. In a preferred embodiment the radionuclides are made less soluble or insoluble in blood components to avoid leaching or washing the radionuclide away.

1 . A radiotherapy product comprising:
 a. microspheres made of glass having nanopores; and   b. one or more radionuclides chemically bound to the surface of the nanopores.   
     
     
         2 . The radiotherapy product of  claim 1  wherein one or more of the radionuclides is insoluble in blood. 
     
     
         3 . The radiotherapy product of  claim 1  wherein the product comprises two radionuclides:
 a. a first radionuclide has a therapeutic effect; and 
 b. a second radionuclide has nuclear medical diagnostic properties. 
 
     
     
         4 . The radiotherapy product of  claim 1  wherein the product comprises two radionuclides:
 a. a first radionuclide is Y-90; and 
 b. a second radionuclide is selected from In-111, Ga-68, or Ga-67. 
 
     
     
         5 . A method for treating a liver tumor comprising:
 a. injecting a plurality of microspheres into the vascular supply of the tumor, wherein the microspheres comprise glass having nanopores and one or more radionuclides chemically bound to the surface of the nanopores.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein one or more of the radionuclides is insoluble in blood. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the product comprises two radionuclides:
 a. a first radionuclide has a therapeutic effect; and 
 b. a second radionuclide has nuclear medical diagnostic properties. 
 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the product comprises two radionuclides:
 a. a first radionuclide is Y-90; and 
 b. a second radionuclide is selected from In-111, Ga-68, or Ga-67. 
 
     
     
         9 . A process for making radioactive glass microspheres for radiation therapy, wherein each glass microsphere has a plurality of nanopores and each nanopore has a surface, the process comprising:
 a. loading the nanopores of the glass microspheres with a loading solution comprising a radionuclide in a first acid wherein the radionuclide is selected from Ga-68 or Ga-67;   b. evaporating the loading solution until the radionuclide precipitates onto the surface of the nanopores in the microspheres; and   c. thermally treating the microspheres so that precipitated radionuclide salt is converted into a low-solubility or insoluble form and is affixed to the surface of the nanopores.