Abstract
In order to determine the potential of 177mLu/177Lu radionuclide generator in 177Lu production it is important to establish the technical needs that can lead to a clinically acceptable 177Lu product quality. In this work, a model that includes all the processes and the parameters affecting the performance of the 177mLu/177Lu radionuclide generator has been developed. The model has been based on the use of a ligand to complex 177mLu ions, followed by the separation of the freed 177Lu ions. The dissociation kinetics of the Lu-ligand complex has been found to be the most crucial aspect governing the specific activity and 177mLu content of the produced 177Lu. The dissociation rate constants lower than 1*10-11 s-1 would be required to lead to onsite 177Lu production with specific activity close to theoretical maximum of 4.1 TBq 177Lu/mg Lu and with 177mLu content of less than 0.01%. Lastly, the calculations suggest that more than one patient dose per week can be supplied for a period of up to 7 months on starting with the 177mLu produced using 3 g Lu2O3 target with 60% 176Lu enrichment. The requirements of the starting 177mLu activity production needs to be adapted depending on the required patient doses, and the technical specifications of the involved 177mLu-177Lu separation process.
Highlights
Lutetium-177 is a β- and γ ray emitting radionuclide with a half-life (t1/2) of 6.64 days and with proven potential in the field of nuclear medicine (Banerjee et al, 2015; Volkert et al, 1991)
The effect of starting 177mLu activity, specific activity on the produced 177Lu activity and specific activity have been defined for different dissociation rate constants and the 177mLu-177Lu separation time
The irradiation of 3 g, 60% 176Lu enriched Lu2O3 target would be needed to produce more than one patient dose per week for a period of up to 7 months
Summary
Lutetium-177 is a β- and γ ray emitting radionuclide with a half-life (t1/2) of 6.64 days and with proven potential in the field of nuclear medicine (Banerjee et al, 2015; Volkert et al, 1991). Other 177Lu labelled compounds have shown prom ising application in the treatment of a wide range of tumours, such as prostate cancer, breast cancer, etc. It is believed that the tremendous potential of 177Lu is not fully exploited yet and the application of 177Lu in the treatment of tumours is expected to grow significantly in the coming years (Banerjee et al, 2015; Das and Banerjee, 2016; Vallabhajosula et al, 2001). The present worldwide 177Lu supply is fulfilled by the direct and the indirect production routes (shown in Fig. 1 in red and blue respectively). An alternative 177Lu production route via a177mLu/177Lu radionuclide generator has been proposed
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