An Overview of In Vitro Assays of <sup>64</sup>Cu-, <sup>68</sup>Ga-, <sup>125</sup>I-, and <sup>99m</sup>Tc-Labelled Radiopharmaceuticals Using Radiometric Counters in the Era of Radiotheranostics

Radionuclides are unstable isotopes that mainly emit alpha (α), beta (β) or gamma (γ) radiation through radiation decay. Therefore, they are used in the biomedical field to label biomolecules or drugs for diagnostic imaging applications, such as positron emission tomography (PET) and/or single-photo...

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Main Authors: Viviana Benfante, Alessandro Stefano, Muhammad Ali, Riccardo Laudicella, Walter Arancio, Antonino Cucchiara, Fabio Caruso, Francesco Paolo Cammarata, Claudia Coronnello, Giorgio Russo, Monica Miele, Alessandra Vieni, Antonino Tuttolomondo, Anthony Yezzi, Albert Comelli
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-03-01
Series:Diagnostics
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/13/7/1210
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Summary:Radionuclides are unstable isotopes that mainly emit alpha (α), beta (β) or gamma (γ) radiation through radiation decay. Therefore, they are used in the biomedical field to label biomolecules or drugs for diagnostic imaging applications, such as positron emission tomography (PET) and/or single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). A growing field of research is the development of new radiopharmaceuticals for use in cancer treatments. Preclinical studies are the gold standard for translational research. Specifically, in vitro radiopharmaceutical studies are based on the use of radiopharmaceuticals directly on cells. To date, radiometric β- and γ-counters are the only tools able to assess a preclinical in vitro assay with the aim of estimating uptake, retention, and release parameters, including time- and dose-dependent cytotoxicity and kinetic parameters. This review has been designed for researchers, such as biologists and biotechnologists, who would like to approach the radiobiology field and conduct in vitro assays for cellular radioactivity evaluations using radiometric counters. To demonstrate the importance of in vitro radiopharmaceutical assays using radiometric counters with a view to radiogenomics, many studies based on <sup>64</sup>Cu-, <sup>68</sup>Ga-, <sup>125</sup>I-, and <sup>99m</sup>Tc-labeled radiopharmaceuticals have been revised and summarized in this manuscript.
ISSN:2075-4418