Boron in nuclear medicine: New synthetic approaches to PET, SPECT, and BNCT agents

The primary objective of the DOE Nuclear Medicine Program at The University of Tennessee is the creation of new methods for introducing short-lived isotopes into agents for use in computerized tomography. A portion of the research effort is directed toward the development of new synthetic methods for the preparation of boron-containing neutron therapy agents. The uniqueness of the UT program is its focus on the design of new chemistry and technology as opposed to the application of known reactions to the synthesis of specific radiopharmaceuticals. The versatile organic boron reagents are utilized in most of the new chemistry. This new technology is then used in nuclear medicine research at the UT Biomedical Imaging Center and in collaborative research programs with colleagues at other DOE facilities. An important goal of the DOE Nuclear Medicine Program at UT is to provide training for students (predoctoral and postdoctoral) in the scientific aspects of nuclear medicine. 83 refs., 12 figs