Isotope Development Group's
Nuclear Medicine Program
Russ Knapp, Program Manager
Summary of Clinical Studies
Although ORNL is not licensed to distribute radioisotopes and
radiopharmaceuticals approved for human use, a number of agents and radionuclide
generators systems developed in the ORNL Nuclear Medicine Program are distributed through the ORNL Isotopes Business Office as radiochemicals for research
and clinical studies being conducted at institutions throughout the world. Clinical
studies are conducted under physician- sponsored protocols. The Nuclear Medicine Program
offers technical expertise and guidance on the use of medical radioisotopes to the ORNL Isotopes Business Office. Key examples of ORNL products being used in clinical
research include the tungsten-188/rhenium-188 generator system developed at ORNL, where
rhenium-188 is being used for a variety of therapeutic applications in over 60 clinical projects throughout the world in
the areas of nuclear medicine, oncology and interventional cardiology, as described in the
attached Tables. In addition, bismuth-213 is being used for cancer therapy at a variety of
centers and is available from the actinium-225/bismuth-213 generator system, using
actinium-225 provided from ORNL.
Figure 1. Example of use
of the ORNL-developed BMIPP cardiac imaging study in a patient
at the Clinic for Nuclear Medicine in Bonn, Germany (courtesy
of J. Kropp, M.D., University Hospital, Dresden, Germany)
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Figure 2. Rhenium-188 from the ORNL tungsten-188/rhenium-188
generator is used to prevent restenosis in post-angiographic treatment
of coronary arteries, using the liquid-filled balloon approach
developed in the ORNL Nuclear Medicine Program (courtesy of
J. Kropp, M.D., University Hospital, Dresden, Germany)
Above: Patient in the catheterization laboratory after balloon
angioplasty
Figure 3: Use of rhenium-188 from the ORNL tungsten-188/rhenium-188
generator for radioembolytic therapy of liver cancer in Singapore (courtesy
of F. Sundram, M.D.):
Above: Administration of the rhenium-188 solution for
radiation treatment of arterial site
Figure
3a. Treatment
of Liver Cancer by Radioembolization with Rhenium-188-N2S2-Lipiodol
at Choroy Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (courtesy, Drs.
Chau and Sundram)
Above: Device used for administration of rhenium-188 solution
Figure
3b. Whole Body images
of liver cancer localization of Rhenium-188 Lipiodol (courtesy,
Drs. Chau and Sundram)
Above: Inflation of angioplasty balloon with radioactive
rhenium-188 solution
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Figure
4: First-pass cardiac studies with short-lived iridium-191m
at the Clinic for Nuclear
Medicine, University of Bonn, Germany, using the ORNL-developed
osmium-191/iridium-191m generator (courtesy of H.-J.
Biersack, M.D.)
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