Production and Purification of Metal Radionuclides for PET Imaging of Disease

The applications of radiopharmaceuticals labeled with positron-emitting metal radionuclides for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging have been increasing steadily over the past 20 years. The methods used for production and purification of the radionuclides are important for producing high specific activity agents, as this is critical for imaging low capacity receptors that are upregulated in diseased tissues. In this review we outline state-of-the-art methodologies for producing four widely used metal radionuclides (Cu-64, Ga-68, Y-86, and Zr-89) and the various purification schemes that are involved in preparing these radionuclides for their use in PET radiopharmaceuticals.