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  • Terbium-149 production: a f...
    Favaretto, C; Grundler, P V; Talip, Z; Köster, U; Johnston, K; Busslinger, S D; Sprung, P; Hillhouse, C C; Eichler, R; Schibli, R; Müller, C; van der Meulen, N P

    Scientific reports, 02/2024, Volume: 14, Issue: 1
    Journal Article

    Terbium-149 (T  = 4.1 h, E  = 3.98 MeV (16.7%), 28 µm range in tissue) is a radionuclide with potential for targeted alpha therapy. Due to the negligible emission of α-emitting daughter nuclides, toxicity to healthy tissue may be reduced in comparison with other α-particle emitters. In this study, terbium-149 was produced via 1.4 GeV proton irradiation of a tantalum target at the CERN-ISOLDE facility. The spallation products were mass separated and implanted on zinc-coated foils and, later, radiochemically processed. Terbium-149 was separated from the co-produced isobaric radioisotopes and the zinc coating from the implantation foil, using cation-exchange and extraction chromatographic techniques, respectively. At the end of separation, up to 260 MBq terbium-149 were obtained with > 99% radionuclidic purity. Radiolabeling experiments were performed with DOTATATE, achieving 50 MBq/nmol apparent molar activity with radiochemical purity > 99%. The chemical purity was determined by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry measurements, which showed lead, copper, iron and zinc only at ppb level. The radiolabeling of the somatostatin analogue DOTATATE with TbTbCl and the subsequent in vivo PET/CT scans conducted in xenografted mice, showing good tumor uptake, further demonstrated product quality and its ability to be used in a preclinical setting.