Production and Application of Beta Emitting Radionuclides for Targeted Radiotherapy
Presenter:
Dr. Tara Mastren
Assistant Professor of Nuclear Engineering
University of Utah
Abstract: Targeted radiotherapy is a form of nuclear medicine where a radionuclide, with desirable decay properties (such as the emission of an alpha, beta or Auger electron), is attached to a targeting vector that is highly specific for receptors that are over expressed on diseased cells. As these decay moieties travel small distances (nm-mm) in tissues, the targeting vector acts as a mailman delivering the therapeutic dose directly to the diseased sites while minimizing the impact and dose to healthy tissues. Before a radionuclide is ready for use in targeted radiotherapy applications it must first be produced and made available in a radiochemically pure form. In this webinar, I will discuss charged particle, neutron and photonuclear reactions used to produce therapeutic radionuclides of interest. Furthermore, we will discuss the separation chemistry and quality control considerations that are required to realize these radionuclides for medical applications.