Isotope Development Group's
Nuclear Medicine Program
Russ Knapp, Manager
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Our research is focused on the development of improved
reactor production and processing methods to provide medical radioisotopes, the
development of new radionuclide generator systems, the design and evaluation of new
radiopharmaceuticals for applications in nuclear medicine, oncology and interventional
cardiology, and association with Medical Cooperative Programs throughout the world for the
further preclinical testing and clinical evaluation of agents developed at ORNL. In the
United States, only ORNL has available the combined resources of the stable isotope
inventory, a High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR), hot cell processing capabilities, and a
wide range of support functions required for such research. These collective resources
provide unique capabilities in nuclear medicine research and production.
The ORNL Nuclear Medicine Program has dedicated research
laboratories available for radiochemistry, synthetic chemistry, animal experiments and
target preparation, and we also have available hot cells and glove box facilities for
radioisotope processing. The ORNL High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) provides a key
resource for radioisotope production for our research program, providing a maximum steady
state thermal neutron flux of about 2.3 x 1015neutrons per square centimeter
per second, which is the highest of any reactor in the world. The versatile HFIR
irradiation positions within the core and reflector regions include an online,
hydraulically operated system which provides access to the core of the reactor, for both
short and long term irradiations. These capabilities offer unparalleled capability for
production of very large quantities of high specific activity radioisotopes. We are
currently developing new improved processing and purification procedures and produce a variety of radioisotopes which are of current
interest in medicine and biology, especially for cancer therapy. A key example is multi-Curie HFIR production of
tungsten-188 (from the enriched stable isotope 186w)
, which is the parent of the tungsten-188/rhenium-188 generator
system which we developed to provide carrier-free rhenium-188. Rhenium-188 from our generator is used for both
research and also in over 50 clinical trials throughout the world for various forms of
cancer therapy and for coronary restenosis therapy. Other
examples of HFIR-produced medical radioisotopes include high specific activity holmium-166
(from natural, high-purity Ho), lutetium-177 (from enriched Lu-176), platinum-195m (from enriched Pt-194) and tin-117m (from enriched Sn-117). Most of the enriched stable
isotopes used to produce these medical radioisotopes in HFIR are obtained from the ORNL
calutrons. Although DOE has decided not to operate the calutrons any longer, varying
amounts of these stable isotopes remain in the ORNL inventory. Alternate stable isotope
enrichment capabilities are being considered, as are alternate sources (primarily Russia). Our research program also includes production of the
alpha-emitting radioisotope actinium-225, which is used in radiotherapy of cancer. Actinium-225 is routinely extracted from the
thorium-229 stock, and ORNL is currently the largest supplier of this medical
radioisotope.
Recent Presentations of the
Nuclear Medicine Group
Organizer and Chair, Symposium on the Introduction of New Radiopharmaceuticals
into Clinical Trials, World Federation of Nuclear Medicine and Biology
Congress, Seoul, Korea, October 22-27, 2006.
Invited Highlight Lecture, Annual Congress, European Association
of Nuclear Medicine, Athens, Greece, Sept. 31-Oct. 4, 2006.
Plenary Lecture, “Therapeutic Applications of Rhenium-188
in Nuclear Medicine and Oncology – Current Status and Expected
Future Perspectives,” for, International Conference on Radiopharmaceutical
Therapy, organized by the World Therapy Council of the World Federation
of Nuclear Medicine and Biology (WFNMB), Limassol, Cyprus, October
11-14, 2005.
Plenary Lecture
, “The Continuing Important Role of Research
Reactors for Production of Medical Radioisotopes,” International
Symposium on Research Reactor and Neutron Science – in Commemoration
of the 10th Anniversary, Korean Atomic Energy Research Institute
(KAERI), Daejeon, Korea, on April 15-19, 2005.
“Rhenium-188 and Lutetium-177 Radiopharmaceuticals in Therapeutic
Nuclear Oncology – Current Experience and Potential Applications,” Round
Table, F. F. Knapp, Chairman, 6th Int. Radiopharmaceutical Therapy
Colloquium, Beijing, PRC, October 9, 2004.
"Rhenium-188An
Attractive Therapeutic Radioisotope for Broad Clinical Applications,"
Invited Plenary Lecture presented by Russ Knapp at the 2003 European
Nuclear Medicine Congress, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, August 25, 2003
New Developments with Unsealed Sources for
Targeted
Therapy; presented
by F. F. (Russ) Knapp, Jr.
at the 41st Annual Meeting of German
Society of Nuclear Medicine, held April 4-6, 2003 in Essen, Germany
"Production of Therapeutic
Radioisotopes in the ORNL High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR).
The presentation was made by F. F. (Russ)
Knapp, Jr. at the Marc VI Conference held April 7-11 in Kona
Kailua, Hawaii.
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Please direct any questions concerning nuclear
medicine to:
F. F. (Russ) Knapp, Program Manager Building
4501, MS-6229
Oak Ridge National Laboratory Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6229 Phone:
865-574-6229 Fax: 865-574-6226 E-mail: knappffjr@ornl.gov
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