The production study of Auger emitters in platinum group metal for radiotherapy

Targeted radioisotope therapy (TRT) is a type of internal radiotherapy that combines radiation therapy and targeted therapy to eliminate cancer cells without damaging healthy tissue. Radionuclides attached to targeting molecules travel to cancer cells and emit radiation in the form of beta-ray emitting nuclides and alpha nuclides. A third type of nuclide called Auger emitter can be used in a treatment called Auger therapy. Dr Tomoyuki Ohya, Department of Advanced Nuclear Medicine Sciences, Institute for Quantum Medical Sciences (iQMS), National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST), Japan, is interested in Auger therapy as a radiotherapy that only affects the tissues that require treatment. Challenges associated with this treatment are the short range of Auger electrons, meaning that they must be precisely targeted in order to be effective. With a view to overcoming this, Ohya is focusing on Pd-103 and Rh-103m as optimal nuclides for Auger therapy. He is working to develop a technology to facilitate high-quality, large-scale manufacturing that can be applied to the clinical use of Auger therapy, enhancing its efficiency and rendering its use on a wide scale possible. In one project, Ohya investigated the potential of developing an efficient and reliable method for producing Rh-103m. Due to its short half-life it needs to be produced by a generator for clinical use. As the anion-exchange resins used in previously developed generators are no longer commercially available, Ohya and the team prepared and tested generators using commercially available anion-exchange resins.