How this Preston lab will help treat 'hardest-to-beat' cancers - using recycled nuclear fuel

The UK National Nuclear Laboratory (UKNLL) – within the Springfields nuclear complex in Salwick, on the edge of Fylde – is one of two North West facilities that has been awarded a share of £10m in government funding to produce the cutting-edge treatments, which are expected to come with fewer side effects.

The process, spearheaded by UKNLL, involves the harvesting of nuclear material that has been used to power homes – known as ‘lead-212’ – which is then recycled to enable the development of ‘Targeted Alpha Therapy’. That can then be deployed to help patients suffering from what would otherwise be the toughest cancers to overcome.

The premise is that lead-212 – a radionuclide – targets and destroys cancer cells with minimal damage to healthy tissue.

UKNLL says that the amount of spent nuclear fuel available in the UK means the specialist treatment could benefit thousands of patients nationwide – and help position the UK as “a leader in precision cancer medicines”.

As part of the process, a tiny amount of lead-212’s parent material – equivalent to a single drop of water in an Olympic-sized swimming pool – is extracted through a series of chemical reactions.

An even smaller amount of lead-212 is then taken from that sample, which, when developed under the right conditions by scientists at Medicines Discovery Catapult in Cheshire – the other facility to share in the government cash – could treat thousands of individuals.

Radionuclides are already used worldwide for medical scans to diagnose cancer and other conditions.

The government is investing £9.9m investment from the Innovate UK Sustainable Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Programme, while industry will plough in a further £8.9m.

Julianne Antrobus, chief executive officer at UKNNL, said: “Through access to the UK’s sovereign supply of lead-212, we have a truly unique opportunity to transform our nuclear expertise into life-saving cancer treatments. Developed from recycled fuel that has already served the nation by powering homes, lead-212 can now serve us again by offering new hope to cancer patients.

“UKNNL is proud to co-lead this pioneering programme alongside Medicines Discovery Catapult. By developing the infrastructure and processes to unlock the UK’s lead-212 supply, we’re not only advancing precision nuclear medicine but also reinforcing the UK’s position as a world leader in both nuclear science and healthcare innovation.

“This investment will help us deliver treatments that could transform outcomes for patients with previously untreatable cancers, both here in the UK and globally.”

Meanwhile, Science and Technology Secretary Liz Kendall added: “Almost 3.5 million people in the UK are living with cancer – but scientific breakthroughs are giving hope to more of them and their families.

“It’s incredible to think that we could turn used nuclear fuel into cutting edge cancer treatments – but that is exactly what British scientific brilliance is making possible. Remarkable work like this, which could give cancer patients more priceless time with their loved ones, shows precisely why this government is giving record funding to research and development.”