Radiopharmaceuticals: radionuclides and vectors
Radiopharmaceuticals are radioactive pharmaceuticals for diagnostic or therapeutic use and typically consist of a radionuclide and a vector molecule. Radionuclides for diagnostic use typically have a short half-life and emit gamma rays that can be detected outside of the body using single photon tomography (SPECT) or positron emission tomography (PET) camera’s that generate an image corresponding to the local concentration of the radionuclide. Radionuclides for therapy typically emit particulate radiation (alpha, beta-minus, Auger electrons) that generate a high radiation dose at a close range to the radionuclide.
The radionuclides are chemically coupled to specific molecules (“vectors”) that guide the radionuclides tot their target in the body and are crucial to generate high signal/noise images of the target tissue or cells (diagnostic use) or to selectively irradiate target (tumor) cells (therapeutic use).
General characteristics of currently used radionuclides and vectors will be discussed as well as the production of radiopharmaceuticals.
Timing
18:30: Introduction of the EVL
18:35: Presentation by Guy Bormans
19:25: Q&A
19:45: Drink
20:30: End
Presentation material
Speaker
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Guy BormansGuy Bormans graduated as a pharmacist at the KU Leuven in 1986. He obtained his PhD in 1990 at the Lab of Radiopharmacy KU Leuven (Belgium) based on research with technetium 99m labeled compounds for visualization of kidney function. Subsequently he did a postdoc in PET radiochemistry in the University of Michigan USA and returned to the KU Leuven to build out research with PET radiopharmaceuticals labeled with fluorine-18 and carbon-11. Guy Bormans is currently the head of the laboratory of Radiopharmaceutical Research at the KU Leuven. He has co-authored more than 500 peer reviewed publications (Web of science). His area of research covers radiosynthesis, QC, in vitro and in vivo evaluation and validation of radiopharmaceuticals, translation of radiopharmaceuticals to clinical use as well as regulatory aspects of radiopharmaceuticals.