EMU granted in the proceeding 2013/07607-8: radiopharmaceutical synthesizer for PET/CT

• Grant number: 18/25050-4
• Support Opportunities: Multi-user Equipment Program
• Start date: February 01, 2020
• End date: January 31, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Medical Radiology
• Principal Investigator: Licio Augusto Velloso
• Grantee: Licio Augusto Velloso
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Médicas (FCM). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• City of the host institution: Campinas
• Associated research grant: 13/07607-8 - OCRC - Obesity and Comorbidities Research Center, AP.CEPID
• EMU web page: Página do Equipamento Multiusuário não informada
• Type of equipment: Processos Físicos - Equipamentos de atmosfera controlada - Produção de radioisótopos; Caracterização de Materiais - Radiometria
• Manufacturer: Fabricante não informado
• Model: Modelo não informado

Abstract

The need to measure and evaluate different biological processes non-invasively in living models led researchers from different countries to develop more than 1,600 different radiopharmaceuticals to evaluate various metabolic processes, protein synthesis, expression of different receptors, genes and antibodies, enzyme and hormone activity, DNA replication, and for therapy. Until recently, the production of these radiotracers required large investments in equipment, infrastructure, personnel and operational cost, which reduced the commercial availability of these substances, especially of the new molecules or those used for research, due to the relatively low demand. With the current technology, the synthesis processes of these tracers have been simplified and the possibility of decentralized production through automated, portable synthesizer modules with simplified operation for radiotracer synthesis has been developed. With this equipment, researchers from different areas can develop and synthesize their own tracers according to their interests and demand, at a relatively low cost, and without depending on the commercial viability of the product or the loss resulting from the decay of the radioisotope during transport and distribution. (AU)