Nuclear waste being transformed into promising cancer treatment at former Manhattan Project site

Nuclear power is seeing a renaissance due to the need for cleaner energy and rising electricity demand because of the increasing use of artificial intelligence. And now, it could also play a role in treating cancer.

The former headquarters of the Manhattan Project, where the world's first atomic bomb was created, is now turning nuclear waste into a potential cure for cancer.

The research is being conducted at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee. Nuclear power company TerraPower and Energy Department contractor AtkinsRealis Isotek have developed a process to extract a key component from nuclear material for a promising cancer treatment called targeted alpha therapy.

"Isotek is taking the government supply of Uranium-233, and we are processing it ultimately for disposal," an Isotek spokeswoman told FOX Business. "But during that process we are extracting Thorium-229."

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There are only 45 grams of Thorium-229 in the world, which is about equivalent to six metal washers, making it extremely rare. 

Alpha therapy selectively targets and destroys cancer cells while minimizing harm to nearby healthy cells. Researchers are hopeful it can be used for multiple types of cancer, from breast to prostate. 

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The public-private partnership allows for significantly increased production of the component while reducing costs, and eliminates a significant risk by removing the highly enriched fissile material from Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where it is stored.

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There is already one drug in the third phase of clinical trials and it could come to market by the second half of 2027.