Radionuclide generator based production of therapeutic lutetium-177

Abstract

Lutetium-177 (177Lu) is a radionuclide with well-established potential in targeted radionuclide therapy (TRNT). 177Lu emits β- particles with a tissue penetration depth of 2 mm, which makes it effective in treating small tumors and causes lower toxicity to nearby healthy cells. The β- emission is also accompanied by gamma ray emission that allows simultaneous imaging of the tumor treatment. The last decade has witnessed a three fold increase in the 177Lu related publications and its demand is expected to grow significantly in the coming years. Currently, the 177Lu availability is completely dependent on the availability of nuclear reactors. They are prone to shutdowns for maintenance, social, economic, political and other unexpected reasons. The exclusive dependency of radionuclide production on nuclear reactors is known to lead to major supply shortages. In general, there is a consensus among the nuclear medicine scientists that new production pathways should be developed that can provide some independence from the nuclear reactor availability...