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In Vivo Uranium Sequestration using a Nanoscale Metal-Organic Framework.
Xiaomei Wang1, Lei Chen1, Zhuanling Bai1
1State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School for Radiological and interdisciplinary Sciences (RAD-X) and Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiation Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China.
A novel nanoscale metal-organic framework (nano-MOF), UiO-66-(COOH)4-180, demonstrates rapid uranium removal from blood and effective in vivo uranium decorporation in mice, outperforming current treatments.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Radiochemistry
- Toxicology
Background:
- Actinide contamination, particularly uranium, poses significant health risks.
- Existing decorporation agents have limitations in efficiency and speed.
- Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) show promise for selective ion adsorption.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a nanoscale metal-organic framework (nano-MOF) for rapid actinide sequestration.
- To evaluate the in vitro and in vivo efficacy of the nano-MOF for uranium removal.
- To compare the performance of the nano-MOF against a commercial decorporation agent.
Main Methods:
- Post-synthetic functionalization of UiO-66 nanoparticles with carboxyl groups to create UiO-66-(COOH)4-180.
- In vitro uranium uptake kinetic studies using fetal bovine serum (FBS).
- In vivo biodistribution and decorporation assays in mice exposed to uranyl.
Main Results:
- UiO-66-(COOH)4-180 achieved over 65% uranyl removal from FBS within 5 minutes, exhibiting the fastest reported uptake kinetics.
- In vivo studies showed accumulation in kidneys and femurs, facilitating uranium sequestration.
- UiO-66-(COOH)4-180 reduced uranium in kidneys by 55.4% and femurs by 36.5%, surpassing ZnNa3-DTPA efficacy.
Conclusions:
- UiO-66-(COOH)4-180 is a highly effective agent for rapid uranium sequestration and in vivo decorporation.
- The nano-MOF demonstrates superior performance compared to the standard treatment ZnNa3-DTPA.
- This functionalized nano-MOF represents a promising advancement in treating actinide contamination.
