Advances in processes for PET radiotracer synthesis: separation of [¹⁸F]fluoride from enriched [¹⁸O]water

Appl Radiat Isot. 2014 Sep:91:64-70. doi: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2014.04.021. Epub 2014 May 14.

Abstract

Positron emission tomography (PET) is a powerful scientific and clinical tool for the study and visualization of human physiology that can provide important information about metabolism and diseases such as cancer. At present, [(18)F]fluorodeoxyglucose ([(18)F]FDG) is the most frequently used radiotracer for the routine clinical evaluation of malignant tumors in a range of body tissues. FDG synthesis is continuously being developed to improve and simplify the synthetic procedure including the isolation of [(18)F]fluoride from [(18)O]water. There are many methods reported in literature for the isolation of [(18)F]fluoride, including evaporation, coat-capture-elution, the use of cation-exchange resin and electrode trapping. This review article gives an overview of some of the most common methods for the separation of [(18)F]fluoride ions from [(18)O]water, highlighting the potential strength of the methods and also problems and weaknesses for synthesis of (18)F PET tracers.

Keywords: Electrochemical cell; FDG; Fluorine-18; Positron emission tomography; Radiochemical synthesis; Separation.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Fluorine Radioisotopes / chemistry
  • Fluorine Radioisotopes / isolation & purification*
  • Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 / chemical synthesis
  • Humans
  • Oxygen Isotopes / chemistry
  • Oxygen Isotopes / isolation & purification
  • Positron-Emission Tomography / methods
  • Radiopharmaceuticals / chemical synthesis*
  • Radiopharmaceuticals / chemistry

Substances

  • Fluorine Radioisotopes
  • Oxygen Isotopes
  • Radiopharmaceuticals
  • Fluorodeoxyglucose F18