Cyclotron production of 89Zr: A potent radionuclide for positron emission tomography

Abstract

In the present study, zirconium-89 (T1/2 = 3.27 day, Iβ+ = 23%, Eβ+ = 0.897 MeV) was produced through the 89Y(p,n) nuclear reaction at the Agricultural, Medical and Industrial Research School (AMIRS) Cyclotron (Cyclone-30, IBA, Belgium), irradiating Y2O3 with 15 MeV proton beam energy and 20 µA current for 20 min. The experimental yield of about 69.77 MBq 89Zr per µAh was obtained. The radiochemical separation of 89Zr from the irradiated Y2O3 target was done through the anion exchange chromatography with an overall of 95% process. The intended use of 89Zr is to label monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) for tumor imaging using positron emission tomography (PET).   Key words: Anion exchange chromatography, production, zirconium-89, separation.