Gallium-68: Chelators Design and Medical Applications

Abstract

This review deals with the development of chelators for use with the positron emission tomography (PET) radionuclide gallium-68 (68 Ga). It discusses both macrocyclic and acyclic ligands that have been used to conjugate 68 Ga with different biomolecules to create radiopharmaceuticals that can be potentially used in clinical routine. Additionally, it explores different medical applications of 68 Gabased radiopharmaceuticals in PET imaging, which are already utilised in clinical practice or are being investigated in clinical trials. [68 Ga(THP)] chelate and its derivatives could be possibly considered the gold standard for the clinical use as they fulfil the requirements of kit-based radiosynthesis. 68 Galabelled somatostatin analogues are well developed, and its role in the diagnoses of neuroendocrine tumours is well-known besides [68 Ga]Ga-HBED-CC-PSMA, which is used on a daily basis for prostate cancer imaging.