[en] Radiopharmaceuticals, drugs containing a radionuclide, are used routinely in nuclear medicine departments for the diagnosis of disease and are under investigation for use in the treatment of disease. Nuclear medicine takes advantage of both the nuclear properties of the radionuclide and the pharmacological properties of the radiopharmaceutical. Herein lies the real strength of nuclear medicine, the ability to monitor biochemical and physiological functions in vivo. This review discusses the coordination chemistry that forms the basis for nuclear medicine applications of the FDA-approved radiopharmaceuticals that are in clinical use, and of the most promising diagnostic and therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals that are in various stages of development. 232 refs