Radiopharmacy – from fundamental research to cancer drugs
Radiopharmaceuticals allow some types of cancer to be targeted with tailor-made therapies. The current state of the art was preceded by decades of intensive research – and the future promises even better treatment options.
Modern radiopharmacy is based on more than a century of scientific knowledge and continuous research. Radiopharmaceuticals – custom-tailored compounds consisting of a radionuclide and a molecule that binds to cancer cells – now allow an increasing number of cancers to be targeted with precision. With TATTOOS, PSI will in the future be able to produce many more radionuclides and in significantly larger quantities: for the development of state-of-the-art, individualised cancer therapies.
1896: Henri Becquerel and Marie Curie independently discover radioactivity, laying the foundation for radiopharmacy.
1946: First success in radiopharmacy: radioiodine (I-131) is successfully used to treat metastatic thyroid cancer.
1960: The Swiss Federal Institute for Reactor Research, a predecessor of PSI, begins producing medical radionuclides.
2000: The Center for Radiopharmaceutical Sciences is founded at PSI in collaboration with ETH Zurich. Researchers in radiochemistry, radiopharmacy, biochemistry and pharmacology jointly drive forward the development of new radiopharmaceuticals.
2000s: Theranostics is introduced into radiopharmacy. Radioisotopes of the same chemical element are used, combining diagnosis and therapy optimally. This not only allows the tumours to be located during diagnosis but also enables the therapeutic dose to be planned.
2018: PSI licenses a radiopharmaceutical developed in-house to the Swiss pharmaceutical company Debiopharm. The drug Debio1124 consists of the nuclide lutetium-177 and a matching ligand and is used in the treatment of medullary thyroid carcinoma.
2024: PSI researchers develop radiopharmaceuticals based on terbium-161 that are successfully used in two theranostics studies at the University Hospital of Basel. One of these is the PROGNOSTICS study involving patients with prostate cancer.
Terbium-161 as an active agent: a question of time
In radiopharmacy, it’s essential to work efficiently and rapidly. Terbium-161, for example, loses half its activity within a week due to radioactive decay. The researchers must factor this in precisely.
Day 1: A glass ampoule containing the precursor material gadolinium-160 has been irradiated with neutrons over the past six days, producing terbium-161 in the process. PSI collaborates with partners worldwide for this purpose. The ampoule is then prepared for transport to PSI.
Day 2: A delivery service brings the ampoule to the PSI Center for Radiopharmaceutical Sciences in a lead-shielded package. Here, the terbium-161 is chemically purified, meaning that other substances produced during irradi- ation are removed.
Day 3: The PSI experts further process the now-pure terbium-161 to qualify it for use in humans.
Day 6, morning: The radionuclide is coupled to the appropriate ligand in the laboratory’s cleanroom – the result is a sterile injection solution.
Day 6, afternoon: Quality control and release of the radiopharmaceutical.
Day 7: Transport to the hospital and immediate administration. A medical professional administers the drug as an infusion directly into the bloodstream of the cancer patient.
2029-2032: Construction and commissioning of TATTOOS at PSI – the future radionuclide production facility is a joint project of PSI, the University of Zurich and the University Hospital of Zurich. Many different radionuclides will be produced here.
2040s: The new radionuclides produced with TATTOOS could benefit many cancer patients.
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