Recent advances in radiopharmaceuticals

Full text: Radiopharmaceuticals in Nuclear Medicine may be divided into diagnostic and therapeutic agents. The diagnostic area is perceived to be mature, while the therapeutic side of nuclear medicine is still evolving. There are over 100 diagnostic radiopharmaceutical products available, the greatest number applied in cardiology followed by oncology and neurology. The greatest success in therapeutic nuclear medicine has been achieved in thyroid cancer, hyperthyroidism and bone pain palliation. Those in the field believe the future of nuclear medicine resides in the growth potential of the emerging therapeutic market, hence much of the recent research has been focussed in the development of therapeutic agents for targeting cancers. Radiopharmaceuticals under development or in clinical trials involve the use of radionuclides such as Y-90, Pd-103, Ir-192, Re-188, I-131, Sm-153, Sn-114, Sr-90, Cu-64 and In-111. Advances in cyclotron and camera technology as well as automation has enhanced and widened the potential use of positron emitting radiopharmaceuticals such as F-18 Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG). However the relationship between FDG uptake and glucose consumption in normal and diseased tissue is still to be defined. Many challenges remain for the nuclear medicine community to apply new knowledge of human biochemistry in the development of new radiopharmaceuticals. A better understanding of effects of radiation and its role in the design of therapeutic agents is undoubtedly pivotal for advancing therapeutic Nuclear Medicine into the future