Availability of yttrium-90 from strontium-90: a nuclear medicine perspective

Cancer Biother Radiopharm. 2012 Dec;27(10):621-41. doi: 10.1089/cbr.2012.1285. Epub 2012 Sep 25.

Abstract

Yttrium-90 (T(½) 64.1 hours, E(βmax)=2.28 MeV) is a pure β⁻ particle emitting radionuclide with well-established applications in targeted therapy. There are several advantages of ⁹⁰Y as a therapeutic radionuclide. It has a suitable physical half-life (∼64 hours) and decays to a stable daughter product ⁹⁰Zr by emission of high-energy β⁻ particles. Yttrium has a relatively simple chemistry and its suitability for forming complexes with a variety of chelating agents is well established. The ⁹⁰Sr/⁹⁰Y generator is an ideal source for the long-term continuous availability of no-carrier-added ⁹⁰Y suitable for the preparation of radiopharmaceuticals for radionuclide therapy. The parent radionuclide ⁹⁰Sr, which is a long-lived fission product, is available in large quantities from spent fuel. Several useful technologies have been developed for the preparation of ⁹⁰Sr/⁹⁰Y generators. There are several well-established radiopharmaceuticals based on monoclonal antibodies, peptides, and particulates labeled with ⁹⁰Y, that are in regular use for the treatment of some forms of primary cancers and arthritis. At present, there are no generators for the elution of ⁹⁰Y that can be set up in a hospital radiopharmacy. The radionuclide is procured from manufacturers and the radiopharmaceuticals are formulated on site. This article reviews the development of ⁹⁰Sr/⁹⁰Y generator and the development of ⁹⁰Y radiopharmaceuticals.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Humans
  • Nuclear Medicine / methods*
  • Radiopharmaceuticals / chemistry*
  • Radiopharmaceuticals / therapeutic use*
  • Strontium Radioisotopes / chemistry*
  • Strontium Radioisotopes / therapeutic use*
  • Yttrium Radioisotopes / chemistry*
  • Yttrium Radioisotopes / therapeutic use*

Substances

  • Radiopharmaceuticals
  • Strontium Radioisotopes
  • Yttrium Radioisotopes