Post-processing via cation exchange cartridges: versatile options.
New (68)Ge/(68)Ga radionuclide generators provide the positron emitter (68)Ga (T½ = 67.7 min) as an easily available and relatively inexpensive source of a PET nuclide for labeling of interesting targeting vectors. However, currently available "ionic" (68)Ge/(68)Ga radionuclide generators are not necessarily optimized for the routine synthesis of (68)Ga-labeled radiopharmaceuticals in a clinical environment. Post-processing of (68)Ge/(68)Ga generators using cation exchange resins provides chemically and radiochemically pure (68)Ga with 97±2% within less than 4 min, with (68)Ge almost completely removed, and ready for online labeling. This simple, fast, and efficient technology can be extended for new applications. The options are (a) to transfer (68)Ga from the cation exchange resin onto an anion exchange resin, to remove acetone, and to further purify the (68)Ga, (b) to obtain (68)Ga in pure non-aqueous solution via (68)Ga(acac)(3) as a synthon for syntheses in organic solvents, and (c) to create an option toward instantaneous determination of  (68)Ge breakthrough, what may be required prior to the release of (68)Ga radiopharmaceutical preparations.
Institute of Nuclear Chemistry, Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany. froesch@uni-mainz.de
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D002411:Cation Exchange Resins / Q000737:chemistry*; D005710:Gallium Radioisotopes / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D011876:Radionuclide Generators; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000138:chemical synthesis*
D002411:Cation Exchange Resins; D005710:Gallium Radioisotopes; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals