COPPER RADIONUCLIDES AND RADIOPHARMACEUTICALS IN NUCLEAR-MEDICINE

The chemistry, radiochemistry, radiobiology, and radiopharmacology of radiopharmaceuticals containing copper radionuclides are reviewed. Cop per radionuclides offer application in positron emission tomography, t argeted radiotherapy, and single photon imaging. The chemistry of copp er is relatively simple and well-suited to radiopharmaceutical applica tion. Current radiopharmaceuticals include biomolecules labelled via b ifunctional chelators primarily based on cyclic polyaminocarboxylates and polyamines, and pyruvaldehyde-bis(N-4-methylthiosemicarbazone) (PT SM) and its analogues. The chemistry of copper, of which only a fracti on has yet been exploited, is likely to be applied more fully in the f uture. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Inc.