Automated fluorine radiolabelling moves closer to the clinic

​A new automated fluorine-18 labelling procedure could make this useful radioisotope easier to use in medical imaging.

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Radiochemists often consider fluorine-18 the ideal PET radioisotope thanks to its excellent radioactive decay characteristics - high positron emission, low positron energy and half-life compatible with off-site transport.

In the past, incorporating 18F into organic molecules involved high temperatures and organic solvents, making it unsuitable for labelling biomolecules such as peptides and small proteins. However, direct radiolabelling of biomolecules with 18F has recently been developed, and researchers in the US have reported a radiolabelling kit containing all of the reagents in one vial.2

At the Institute of Cancer Research in the UK, Graham Smith and co-workers have now taken this isotope one step closer to the clinic by automating the process. Using two different radiolabelling platforms, they’ve successfully labelled three substrates and achieved over 98% radiochemical purity. This could allow them to produce large batches of radiopharmaceuticals for satellite PET centers around the country.

To read more please visit https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/automated-fluorine-radiolabelling-moves-closer-to-the-clinic/2500366.article

Source: Royal Society of Chemistry