Lutetium-177 Dotatate selectively binds to SSTRs on NET cells, delivering targeted radiation, minimizing collateral damage, and reducing conventional therapy side…
Human Body Imaging
Radiopharmaceuticals have been steadily gaining recognition in medical imaging and targeted therapies. These pharmaceutical agents contain radioactive isotopes that emit radiation, which specialised imaging devices can detect. The FDA has approved several radiopharmaceuticals for various applications, including diagnosis, treatment evaluation, and therapy. One of the most well-known FDA-approved radiopharmaceuticals is Technetium-99m, used since the 1960s. This versatile agent can be incorporated into various compounds to target specific organs or physiological systems. Technetium-99m is primarily employed in single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging to assess the function of organs such as the heart, lungs, and brain and to detect cancer metastases. Another important radiopharmaceutical is Fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG), a positron emission tomography (PET) imaging standard. FDG accumulates in cells with high glucose metabolism, making it particularly useful for identifying tumours, as cancer cells are known for their increased metabolic activity. This agent has revolutionised cancer diagnosis, staging, and treatment response evaluation. Gallium-68 Dotatate is another FDA-approved radiopharmaceutical used in PET imaging. It specifically binds to somatostatin receptors, which are overexpressed in neuroendocrine tumours. This selective binding allows for accurate tumour localisation, disease staging, and monitoring of treatment response in patients with neuroendocrine tumours. In addition to diagnostic applications, radiopharmaceuticals have also shown potential in targeted therapies. Lutetium-177 Dotatate, for instance, is an FDA-approved peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) that targets somatostatin receptor-positive neuroendocrine tumours. This therapeutic radiopharmaceutical minimises damage to healthy tissue and has demonstrated improved progression-free survival in clinical trials by delivering targeted radiation directly to the tumour site. Another example of a therapeutic radiopharmaceutical is Radium-223 dichloride, which is approved for treating metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer with bone metastases. Radium-223 mimics calcium and selectively targets areas of bone metastases, delivering alpha radiation to cancer cells while sparing surrounding healthy tissue. Iodine-131 is a well-established therapeutic radiopharmaceutical used to treat hyperthyroidism and thyroid cancer. It accumulates in thyroid tissue, emitting beta radiation that destroys the overactive or cancerous cells, thus restoring normal thyroid function or eliminating malignant tissue. The FDA-approved radiopharmaceuticals mentioned above represent only a fraction of the growing field. Ongoing research and development of novel radiopharmaceuticals hold immense potential for improving the accuracy of disease diagnosis, monitoring treatment response, and providing targeted therapies for various conditions. As our understanding of molecular biology advances, so will the development of innovative radiopharmaceuticals that can revolutionise modern medicine.
Last Updated: 10APR2023
Lutetium-177 Dotatate selectively binds to SSTRs on NET cells, delivering targeted radiation, minimizing collateral damage, and reducing conventional therapy side…
Iodine-131 sodium iodide, a radioactive isotope, is used in diagnosing and treating thyroid disorders and specific cancer therapies with targeted…
Iodine-131 Iobenguane (I-131 MIBG), a radiopharmaceutical agent, enables early diagnosis and targeted treatment of neuroendocrine tumours, improving patient outcomes.
Iodine-131 human serum albumin offers versatile diagnostic and therapeutic applications, despite limitations like radiation exposure and a short half-life.
Indium-111 pentetreotide excels in detecting and localising neuroendocrine tumors, monitoring treatment, and identifying therapy candidates.
Fluorine-18 Fluoroestradiol PET imaging enables early breast cancer detection, accurate staging, and treatment response monitoring, improving patient outcomes.
Iodine-125 iothalamate, with high albumin affinity, ensures accurate GFR measurement, minimal radiation exposure, stability, and cost-effectiveness in diagnostics.
Iodine-125 Human Serum Albumin effectively measures blood volume, assesses vascular permeability, and evaluates protein-losing gastroenteropathy for accurate diagnosis.
Iodine-123 Sodium Iodide capsules are a type of radiopharmaceutical used to diagnose various thyroid disorders....
Iodine-123 Ioflupane known as DaTscan aids in diagnosing Parkinson's disease by visualising dopamine transporters using SPECT imaging.
Iodine-123 iobenguane is vital for detecting, staging, and monitoring neuroendocrine tumours, guiding treatment, and offering prognostic insights.
Indium-111 Pentetate enables tumour detection, infection, inflammation tracking, and cerebrospinal fluid leak identification.
Indium-111 oxyquinoline enables diverse cellular imaging, crucial for detecting infections, thrombosis, tumours, and advancing stem cell research.
Indium-111 chloride effectively aids infection and inflammation imaging by labelling WBCs, enabling precise issue localisation and severity assessment.
Gallium-68 Gozetotide enhances PET imaging for oncology, targeting somatostatin receptors, and offering improved tumour detection and patient care.
Gallium-68 DOTATOC revolutionises neuroendocrine tumor diagnosis, enhancing PET imaging accuracy, sensitivity, and management in the medical field.
Gallium-68 DOTATATE, a radiopharmaceutical, targets somatostatin receptors, aiding neuroendocrine tumor detection through PET imaging, enhancing diagnostic accuracy and patient outcomes.
Gallium-67 citrate is a radiopharmaceutical used for imaging infections, inflammation, cancer, and fever of unknown origin.
Fluorine-18 Flutemetamol, a radioactive tracer, for early detection of Alzheimer's disease through PET imaging, enhancing diagnostic accuracy.
Fluorine-18 Fludeoxyglucose, a radiotracer used in PET scans, enables precise cancer diagnosis, evaluating metabolic activity, and monitoring treatment efficacy non-invasively.
Fluorine-18 Sodium Fluoride (18F-NaF) is an effective, safe diagnostic radiopharmaceutical, revolutionising bone imaging and detecting skeletal abnormalities with high accuracy.
Fluorine-18 Piflufolastat, a novel radiotracer, enables precise imaging of prostate cancer, enhancing diagnostic accuracy and facilitating personalied, targeted treatment approaches.
Fluorine-18 Flucicovine (Axumin) improves prostate cancer detection, enabling accurate diagnosis and targeted treatments with PET imaging.
Fluorine-18 Flortaucipir: selective tau-binding radiotracer, Alzheimer's diagnosis, PET imaging, regional limitations, off-target binding, combined diagnostic approach.
Fluorine-18 Florbetapir, radiotracer, amyloid plaques, Alzheimer's disease, PET imaging, early diagnosis, pharmaceutical research, neurodegenerative disorders, brain.
Fluorine-18 Florbetaben is a radiotracer used in medical imaging to detect amyloid plaques in the brain.
Copper-64 DOTATE, a diagnostic radiopharmaceutical, effectively targets neuroendocrine tumours, enabling precise imaging and personalised treatment plans for cancer patients.
Carbon-14 urea, utilised in breath tests, effectively detects Helicobacter pylori infections, aiding gastric ulcer diagnosis and management.
Carbon-14 Choline, a radioactive isotope, improves medical imaging accuracy and expands molecular research, aiding cancer diagnosis and treatment.