Radiochemistry Research Core

The Radiochemistry Research Core provides infrastructure and technical expertise to support radiopharmaceutical development and molecular imaging research. The core integrates radiochemistry, automation and quality-focused workflows to enable the preparation of Positron Emission Tomography (PET) radiotracers for preclinical and clinical imaging studies, including applications in diagnostic imaging and theranostics.

Capabilities at the Biomedical Research and Training Center (BRTC) facility include an 11-MeV Siemens Eclipse RDS-111 cyclotron for radionuclide production (15O, 13N, 11C, 19F); 19 Comecer hot cells for radionuclide handling/processing; multiple automated radiochemical synthesis systems; and production capacity for oxygen-15, nitrogen-13, carbon-11 and fluorine-18 radiopharmaceuticals; and HPLC, GC and gamma counting systems for radiopharmaceutical quality control and quality assurance.

Within our Goodman Hall research imaging facility, we have a radiochemistry laboratory that adjoins the PET/CT suite that supports local production of 68Ga, 64C and 62Cu radiopharmaceuticals; collection of externally produced clinical and research radiopharmaceuticals; and analyses of blood and urine samples from dynamic PET studies quantifying drug distribution, pharmacokinetics and radiation dosimetry.

RIC’s mission is to supply IU investigators with radiopharmaceutical agents needed to advance their research objectives, in addition to performing research related to new agent development, testing and translation. The core also supports clinical radiotracer programs, including an F-18 fluoroethyl tyrosine (FET) EA-IND brain tumor imaging program which has resulted in more than 600 clinical scans to date. The core has previously provided radiopharmaceutical doses needed to enable Expanded Access clinical use of 68Ga-DOTA-NOC in neuroendocrine tumor imaging (370 clinical doses) and 68Ga-PSMA-11 in prostate cancer imaging (1112 clinical doses), preceding availability of such diagnostic imaging via FDA-approved drug products.

The Radiochemistry Core also provides critical radiochemistry support for the theranostics efforts of IU and IU Health. In clinical theranostics, a biomarker-targeted “therapy” pairs with companion biomarker-targeted “diagnostic” imaging. With this approach, the tissue-specific biomarker is exploited to personalize care by diagnostic imaging to define the nature, location and extent of disease, thereby establishing a foundation for planning similarly targeted radiotherapy, immunotherapy and/or pharmacotherapy.

We are one of the few centers in the United States that offer this tracer. This type of scanning is useful as it offers superior tumor-to-background contrast, which can help distinguish between malignant and benign brain lesions and inflammation.