2025/09/25 by Nadia Audouin, Héloïse Dufour, A. Vidal +12 · 1 voice
Medicine · Physics and Astronomy · #Boron Compounds in Chemistry #Nuclear Physics and Applications #Radiopharmaceutical Chemistry and Applications
paper · doi:10.1016/j.nucmedbio.2025.109559
openalex publication_date 2025/09/25 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/22
Introduction this study investigates the production of Lead-203 ( 203 Pb) using a deuteron beam and demonstrates its application with DOTATATE for diagnostic imaging of neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) thanks to its γ-ray emissions well-suited for SPECT imaging. 203 Pb presents a high potential in nuclear medicine, as it is the imaging counterpart of part of Lead-212 ( 212 Pb), a radionuclide with an alpha-emitting decay chain used for targeted alpha therapy. Methods Enriched Thallium-205 ( 205 Tl) was electrodeposited onto a gold substrate using a custom-made PEEK cell, with a platinum rod as the auxiliary electrode. The electrodeposition was conducted at a controlled temperature and stirring speed, with reverse pulse potentials applied to obtain a smooth and dense deposit. The 205 Tl deposit was then irradiated with deuteron beams at 31 MeV to produce 203 Pb. Chemical separation was performed using two columns containing Pb resin. The first column (150 mg resin) was used to remove 205 Tl for further recycling and the second column (60 mg resin) was employed to obtain 203 Pb in 1 M ammonium acetate at pH 5 ensuring high purity and specific activity. Radiolabelling of DOTATATE with 203 Pb was conducted in a modified acetate buffer, and the radiochemical purity and stability were assessed using HPLC and TLC. The stability of [ 203 Pb]Pb-DOTATATE was evaluated over a period of up to 120 h. Results the electrodeposition process, conducted over 8 h, yielded a reproducible 205 Tl deposit with an average thickness of 37.7 ± 3.2 μm, which remained stable during irradiation. The chemical separation process achieved a 203 Pb purity exceeding 99 % in 1 M ammonium acetate at pH 5, with a specific activity surpassing 3783 TBq/g for an integrated beam current of 175 μAh at calibration time (EOB + 32 h). The radiochemical separation yield during the process was 80.5 %. Radiolabelling of DOTATATE with 203 Pb showed a high radiochemical purity (99.1 %) and a stability over 96 h, demonstrating the feasibility of using [ 203 Pb]Pb-DOTATATE for clinical applications. Conclusion Our results support the use of 203 Pb produced using deuteron beam as valuable tools in the advancement of personalized nuclear medicine therapies. The high purity and specific activity of 203 Pb, achieved through dual Pb resin purification process, along with its effective radiolabelling with DOTATATE at high yield and long stability, underscore its potential for clinical use in diagnostic imaging, especially in neuroendocrine tumours.