Radiometals for imaging and theranostics, current production, and future perspectives

Area of Science:

• Nuclear medicine
• Radiochemistry
• Medical physics

Background:

• Radiometals are crucial for diagnostic imaging and therapeutic applications in medicine.
• The demand for radiometals for theranostic use is rapidly increasing.
• Current production methods face challenges in yield, purity, and economy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review available radiometals and their production methods, capacities, and quality concerns.
• To explore emerging radiometals and irradiation technologies for diagnostic and theranostic applications.
• To discuss strategies for meeting the growing global demand for theranostic nuclides.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of radiometal production, applications, and emerging technologies.
• Analysis of production challenges using Lutetium-177 (177Lu) as a case study.
• Discussion of current and future production capacities using nuclear reactors and accelerators.

Main Results:

• Detailed examination of radiometal production issues including yield, specific activity, and purity.
• Overview of established and novel radiometals with theranostic potential.
• Assessment of existing nuclear facilities and alternative irradiation reactions for increased production.

Conclusions:

• Meeting the rising demand for radiometals requires optimizing production yields and ensuring high purity.
• Continued research into novel radiometals and advanced irradiation techniques is essential for theranostics.
• Strategic planning of production capacities is necessary to support the expanding use of radiometals in medicine.