The goal of this project is to develop an automated system for the production of high specific activity copper-64 using small biomedical accelerators. Copper-64 (Tau 1/2=12.7 hr) is an intermediate-lived positron-emitting radionuclide which is a useful radiotracer for positron emission tomography (PET) as well as a promising radiotherapy agent for the treatment of cancer. Copper-64 is currently reactor produced, and, because it can only be produced at a small number of reactor facilities, its availability is extremely limited. Experiments conducted in Phase I showed that high yields of copper-64 with high specific activity and radiochemical purity can be produced via the 64Ni(p,n)64Cu reaction using conventional PET cyclotrons or low energy linear accelerators. In Phase II, an automated target and radiochemical processing system will be developed for the production and purification of copper-64 in the quantities required for imaging and radiotherapy. The availability of this system will allow the use of PET to diagnose physiological conditions which cannot be studied with the short-lived positron-emitting radionuclides and will make possible the widespread use of Cu-labeled therapeutic agents. The long half-life of copper-64 will also allow the distribution of therapeutic and imaging agents to sites that do not have isotope production capabilities.
The copper-64 production system developed in this program will be of immediate interest to researchers having access to small biomedical cyclotrons and to existing cyclotron- based radiopharmacy facilities. The availability of an on-site 64Cu production system will play an important role in the development of imaging and radiotherapy protocols using copper-labeled compounds.
