Radioactive substances in medicine 2 -SPECT isotopes Flashcards
What is first step in production of 99mTc
- Start with weapons-grade uranium, highly enriched with 235U
- 235,92 U + 1,0 n –> 236,92 U (unstable) –> 99,42 Mo + 134,50 Sn + 3 1,0 n
- Yield of 99,42 Mo is tiny via this process
- Non-spontaneous fission reaction which occurs through bombardment of accelerated neutrons (e.g. not spontaneous) in cyclotrons
How is 99m Tc formed from 99, 42 Mo
- 99,42 Mo –> 99m, 43 Tc + 0,-1 Beta- + (v- e)
- 99m, 43 Tc –> 99, 43Tc + 0,0 gamma
- Gamma radiation is important for imaging
What are alternative pathways to get to 99Mo
- Other likely fission reactions, followed by beta decay
- 235,92U + 1,0n –> 236,92U –>99,40 Zr + 134,52Te +3,0n
- 235,92U + 1,0n –> 236,92U + 99,39Y + 134,53I + 3,0n
- The 99,40Zr and 99,39Y intermediates formed this way then decay by successive
beta(-) emissions to 99
42Mo - Higher yield
Describe transformation of 99,42Mo to 99m,43Tc
- Mo decays through beta- emission over 90h to 99mTc- spontaneously decays to this excited state
- 87% of decays lead to this excited state
- Beta- electron and a v antineutrino are emitted in the process
Describe transformation of 99mTc to stable isotope 99Tc
- Releases gamma radiation which is of medical interest with t1/2 = 6h
- 99mTc is an important, metastable, nuclear isomer of 99Tc
Describe decay of 99Tc
- Decays emitting beta minus particles but no gamma rays
- over 200000 years it decays to form stable 99,44Ru
Describe formation of radiopharmaceuticals of 99mTc
- Takes place in aq medium, therefore affected by:
- pH
- tin chem of SnCl2
- additive used to control O.S of Tc ions
- dilution
- Os state ranges from +1 to +7 and redox processes are highly pH dependent
What is core of 99mTc radiopharmaceuticals
- [Tc=O]3+
What is a challenge of 99mTc radiopharmaceuticals
- Very small concentration of tracer
- Under kinetic control
- Vast amount of ligand- difficult to handle and control
What are the main applications of 99m Tc radiopharmaceuticals
- myocardial perfusion imaging for coronary artery disease
- A second major application of 99Mo/99mTc generators is whole-body imaging for detection of bone metastases (to a lesser extent for benign bone diseases such as inflammation).
- Other applications include sentinel node imaging before surgery for breast cancer or melanoma,
as well as for thyroid, lung, and renal imaging.
What are limitations of 99mTc radiopharmaceuticals
- medical radioisotope supply.
Research scale nuclear reactors (only 6 remaining in the world) means less access to the 99Mo that decays to the 99mTc - Complications in rapid chemistry necessary including access to 99mTc in the differing O.S. needed for the
radiopharmaceutical of choice, whilst addressing the t1/2 of 6 h in synthetic methodologies. - Kinetics of radiolabelling reactions have to match the first order decay processes of the radioisotope and the relevant t1/2
What are the main practical advantages of 99m-Tc radiopharmaceutical
- 99mTc can be readily detected in the body by available scanners & medical equipment because it emits ca 140.5 keV gamma rays (these are about the same wavelength as those emitted by conventional X-ray diagnostic equipment),
- its half-life for gamma emission is 6 h which is compatible with biological processes;
- 94% of it decays to stable, long lived 99Tc in ca 24 hours.
What are 99mTc brain imaging agents used
- Neurolite (ECD)
- Ceretec
Describe properties of 99mTc brain imaging agents
- Both are neutral compounds
- Tc(V) overall with [Tc=O]3+ at the core
- Tc is a hard/soft lewis acid so can bind to intermediate lewis base- N and softer lewis base S
- Provide high resolution images for diagnosis of trauma
What is a variant of neurolite
- 99mTc TRODAT
- A Tc(V) chelate with [Tc=O]3+ core
- Is conjugated to a cocaine derivative specific for dopamine receptors in the brain
- Can be used in diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease at an early stage
What are 99mTc heart imaging agents
- Cardiolite
- Myoview