Radiopharmaceutical Research at ANSTO

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Radiopharmaceutical Research at ANSTO

• Andrew Katsifis
• Radiopharmaceuticals Research Institute
• ANSTO-OPEN DAY
• 19 September 2009

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What is an Isotope?

• An isotope is a different form of the same
  chemical element that differs only by the number
  of neutrons.
• Deuterium and tritium are isotopes of hydrogen
• Carbon-14, carbon-13 and carbon-11 are isotopes
  of carbon-12
• Fluorine-18 is an isotope of fluorine-19
• Oxygen-15 and oxygen-18 are isotopes of oxygen-16
• Uranium-235, 236, 237, 234, etc are isotopes of
  uranium-238

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What is a radioisotope and what happens during
decay?

• A radioisotope is an unstable element that
  wants to become stable
• The ratio of protons to neutrons in a nucleus
  determines whether that isotope will be stable or
  not
• An unstable nucleus will decay by emitting
  energy or ejecting particles and energy to become
  stable
• Scientists at RRI design radiopharmaceuticals
  that utilise the energy or particles from
  radioisotopes to either image or treat patients
  in medicine

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Radionuclides for Imaging and Therapy
68Ga
Lu-177
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Reactor Produced Radioisotopes
Tc-99m, Iodine-131 Lutetium-177 Yttrium-90 Sammari
um-153
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Cyclotrons
C-11, F-18, O-15, N-13 Ga-67/68, Tl-201, I-123
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Cyclotrons in Australia
PET Cameras
30 MeV - Current 16-19 MeV - Current 16-19 MeV -
Announced 10/11MeV Current 10/11 MeV - Announced
Perth Charles Gardiner, 19 MeV IBA Adelaide
Barry Chatterton, looking at multi centres for
greater Adelaide area Sydney PETNET, 11 MeV,
Siemens Sydney PETNET, 11 MeV, Siemens Sydney
Cyclopharm, 16MeV, GE Sydney RPA, 16MeV,
GE Sydney NMC, 30 MeV, IBA Sydney BMRI,
16MeV, GE?, Melbourne Cyclotek, 16 MeV,
GE Melbourne Cyclotek, 10 MeV, GE Melbourne
Austin, 19 MeV, IBA Melbourne Cyclopharm, 16
MeV, GE, Melbourne Peter Mac, have an Oxford
10MeV, and thinking of buying 2 cyclotrons in new
facility Brisbane Royal BNE Hospital, 16 MeV,
GE Brisbane GMS, 10 MeV, GE New Zealand
Cyclotek, GE 16 MeV, Wellington or Auckland
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What Are Radiopharmaceuticals ?
Biologically Active Molecule
Linker
Linker
Radioisotope
Biological Target
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Radiopharmaceutical Scienceand Nuclear Medicine

• What do we really image?
• Study molecular interactions in the living body
  we are imaging the bodys biochemistry
• Metabolism (Oxygen, glucose, amino acids, fatty
  acids, DNA precursors)
• Enzymes and proteins
• Immune system and its functions
• Drug interactions
• Non-invasive and very sensitive

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Relationship between Radiopharmaceuticals and
Diseases
1. Heart disease and injury 2. Neurodegenerative
diseases 3. Brain damage 4. Psychiatric
disorders 5. Cancer
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Clockwise above 64Ni solid target preparation
Chromatogram of radiochemical separation in the
process of 64Cu radionuclide production 64Cu
separation facility set-up Theoretical
assessment for the 64Ni targetry.
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RRI - Research Facilities
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Research Instruments
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PET CT Imaging system
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Positron Emission Tomography (PET)

• Most sensitive imaging system developed
• Offers quantitative measurements and great
  accuracy
• Radioisotopes used are very short lived
• Rely on Cyclotrons
• Includes physiologically important isotopes such
  as (C, N, O)

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Single Photon Emission Computer Tomography (SPECT)

• Decaying nucleus emits a single photon only
• Good sensitivity (SPECT lt PET)
• Non Quantitative measurements
• Longer lived radionuclides (hours-days)
• Radioisotopes produced on Cyclotrons and Reactors
• Non physiological isotopes (Iodine, Technetium,
  Indium)
• Widespread availability

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Fluorodeoxy glucose An analogue of glucose
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CRC in Biomedical Imaging-FET
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Patient 081166952
18F-Flumazenil and epilepsy
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PET and PARKINSONS DISEASE
18 F-L-DOPA
76 Br-FE-CBT
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Dopamine Transporter Imaging with
I-123 beta-CIT SPECT
Diffuse Lewey Body Disease
Alzheimers Disease
(reduced in Putamen)
(normal binding)
Binding in the putamen is more effected than in
the caudate nucleus
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11C-b-Amyloid Imaging
Imaging plaques in Alzheimers Disease with PET
C. Rowe, AMC
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Thank you
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Production of Radionuclides-Reactor

• A target in reactor is bombarded with neutrons
• New element becomes radioactive with nucleus
  containing extra neutrons (proton deficient)
• Most reactor radionuclides decay by b- emission
  as they spontaneously decay.
• Therapeutic radionuclides are almost exclusively
  produced in a nuclear reactor.

I-131, Mo-99
131 99 4 234