Gallium-68-labeled radiopharmaceuticals: a review.

Area of Science:

• Nuclear medicine
• Radiochemistry
• Medical imaging

Background:

• Gallium-68 (⁶⁸Ga)-labeled radiopharmaceuticals have seen significant growth in the past decade.
• Their popularity stems from accessibility, favorable physical properties, and straightforward labeling chemistry.
• Despite high positron energy, ⁶⁸Ga is widely used in diagnostic imaging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current status of gallium-68 radiopharmaceuticals.
• To elucidate their preclinical and clinical translation stages.
• To discuss their physical characteristics, production, chelators, and labeling chemistry.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on ⁶⁸Ga-labeled radiopharmaceuticals.
• Discussion of physical properties, production methods, and bifunctional chelators.
• Analysis of radiolabeling chemistry and biological targets.

Main Results:

• Various ⁶⁸Ga radiopharmaceuticals are evaluated for diagnostic imaging.
• Preclinical and clinical results are summarized for each agent.
• The readiness for clinical translation is assessed for potential applications.

Conclusions:

• ⁶⁸Ga radiopharmaceuticals represent a rapidly advancing field in nuclear medicine.
• Their simple chemistry and accessibility facilitate widespread clinical use.
• Continued research is crucial for expanding their diagnostic capabilities.