The radiotracers (also known as radiopharmaceuticals) produced in the INM-5 are generally produced by coupling a short-lived positron emitter to an organic compound. These can be drugs or metabolic substrates such as: Glucose, amino acids and fatty acids. Carbon-11, oxygen-15 and fluorine-18 are used as positron emitters in routine production. Due to the high levels of radioactivity, these labeling syntheses are carried out in automated synthesis equipment located in shielded lead cells (so-called “hot cells”).
Both synthesis in automated equipment and compliance with GMP regulations require reliable synthesis methods with as few reaction steps as possible and minimal use of toxicologically questionable chemicals. The focus of research work in this area is on simplifying and optimizing the radiopharmaceuticals used in routine production, which will enable them to be used more widely in PET.
Leiter Arbeitsgruppe Radiopharmakaproduktion
