Gallium and copper radiopharmaceutical chemistry

Several isotopes of gallium and copper exhibit nuclear properties that make them attractive for applications in nuclear medicine, most notably Ga-67, Ga-68, Cu-67 and Cu-62. Of these, gamma-emitting Ga-67 has historically found the greatest clinical use, based on the observation that tracer gallium(III) citrate rapidly produces Ga-67 transferrin upon intravenous injection and then slowly affords selective Ga-67 localization in sites of abscess and certain tumors. Copper-67 has received attention as a potential label for tissue-selective monoclonal antibodies, since its associated γ-photons can be used for external imaging and its β--emissions could be used for radiation therapy. Positron-emitting gallium-68 and copper-62, being available from parent/daughter generator systems, have attracted interest as potential labels for radiopharmaceuticals used in positron emission tomography (PET) because they could reduce the dependence of this imaging technology on hospital-based cyclotrons. The 10 min. half-life of Cu-62 is particularly well-suited to the time frame of PET studies of tissue perfusion, an application for which Cu(II)-bis(thiosemicarbazone) derivatives appear promising. The 68 min. half-life of Ga-68 makes it appropriate for PET studies over longer imaging time spans