Aluminum-26 as a biological tracer using accelerator mass spectrometry
Abstract
The development of accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) has provided a practical method of detection for the only isotope of aluminum suitable as a tracer, $\sp{26}$Al. The use of $\sp{26}$Al as a tracer for aluminum has made possible the study of aluminum metabolism and the pharmacokinetics of aluminum-containing drugs at physiological levels. An overview of the various advantages of using $\sp{26}$Al as a tracer for aluminum and a general description of the AMS technique as applied to bio-medical applications is given. To illustrate the versatility of $\sp{26}$Al as a tracer for aluminum, $\sp{26}$Al studies of the past several years are discussed briefly. In addition, Two novel investigations dealing with $\sp{26}$Al-labeled drugs will be presented in more detail. In one of these studies, it was found that $\sp{26}$Al from aluminum hydroxide and aluminum phosphate vaccine adjuvants appeared in the blood just one hour after intramuscular injection. This is a surprising result since the currently held theory of how adjuvants work assumes that adjuvants remain insoluble and hold the antigen at the injection site for a long period of time. In another project, $\sp{26}$Al-labeled antiperspirants are being characterized by combining AMS with traditional analytical and chromatographic techniques. Future directions for this and other possible studies are discussed.
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
Elmore, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Atoms & subatomic particles|Biophysics|Pharmaceuticals
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