An evaluation of the introduction of stable nuclides of bromine into high specific activity radiobrominations

Radiobromine and radioiodine for medical applications

The halogens bromine and iodine have similar chemical properties and undergo similar reactions due to their closeness in Group 17 of the periodic chart. There are a number of bromine and iodine radionuclides that have properties useful for diagnosis and therapy of human diseases. The emission properties of radiobromine and radioiodine nuclides with half-lives longer than 1 h are summarized along with properties that make radionuclides useful in PET/SPECT imaging and β/Auger therapy, such that the reader can assess which of the radionuclides might be useful for medical applications. An overview of chemical approaches that have been used to radiolabel molecules with radiobromine and radioiodine nuclides is provided with examples. Further, references to a large variety of different organ/cancer-targeting agents utilizing the radiolabeling approaches described are provided.

Semi-remote production of Br-76 and preparation of high specific activity radiobrominated pharmaceuticals for PET studies

The PET radionuclide 76Br (t1/2=16.2 h) can be easily produced utilizing the nuclear reaction As(3He,2n)76Br. We use high-purity arsenic targets and isolate radioactive bromide by chromic acid oxidation followed by simple distillation of [76Br] hydrogen bromide using a semi-remote apparatus. Use of reagents with little or no carrier bromine yields high specific activity radiobrominated pharmaceuticals prepared from the distilled [76Br] hydrogen bromide.