A specific radioactive tracer is required to diagnose Parkinson’s disease or detect neuroendocrine tumors using a PET scan. The UMCG has developed a new method to produce this tracer more simply, safely, and quickly. This allows for a significantly larger number of patients to be examined. This shortens wait times, enabling earlier diagnosis. This month, tracers produced using this new method were administered to patients for the first time.
PET tracers are used in PET scans. PET scans make it possible to visualize and measure biological processes in the body. By injecting a small amount of radioactive tracer into the body, doctors can, for example, see how much energy certain tissues consume or whether they have high metabolic activity. This is particularly valuable for detecting tumors or assessing brain function.
The new production method focuses on a specific PET tracer: [18F]fluorodopa (FDOPA). Clinical radiochemist Gert Luurtsema of the Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging notes that this tracer is used in the diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease and in the detection of neuroendocrine tumors. ‘By using this tracer, doctors can visualize abnormalities in dopamine metabolism, which is essential for making these diagnoses.’
However, the production of this tracer was highly complex and time-consuming. Luurtsema: “The new technique significantly reduces the number of steps in the production process and replaces the use of radioactive gas with a liquid form. This not only simplifies the process but also makes it much safer for the staff involved in production.”
A major advantage of the new method is the significantly increased production capacity. Luurtsema: “Whereas we could previously help a maximum of five to six patients at a time, that number is now many times higher. A single production batch can yield as many as twenty to thirty doses for patients. This means we can apply this diagnostic technique to many more patients. This is a major advance, especially for conditions where a rapid and accurate diagnosis is crucial, such as Parkinson’s disease and cancer.”
It took more than ten years to develop this technique. The UMCG possesses extensive expertise in radiochemistry and has comprehensive facilities. The research group led by Nobel laureate Ben Feringa also collaborated extensively on the development. The radiochemists work closely with pharmacists, physicists, and clinicians. This enabled the new tracers not only to be developed but also to be rapidly tested and applied in clinical practice. Luurtsema: ‘The UMCG was the first center in the Netherlands to have a medical cyclotron, a device used to produce radioactive isotopes. These isotopes form the basis for the tracers needed in PET scans. Because these PET tracers have a relative short half-life and thus remain active for only a very short time, they must be produced close to the patient.’
Last month, the FDOPA tracer was produced using the new method and administered to patients for the first time. Luurtsema expects this innovation to significantly improve patient care: ‘This will shorten waiting times, allowing us to make diagnoses more quickly. This means patients will receive clarity sooner and can start treatment faster. This can not only improve their quality of life, but in some cases also their prognosis.’
Luurtsema is particularly proud that this innovation has been realized. ‘By pooling the knowledge and infrastructure available in Groningen, and with a great deal of patience and perseverance, we have succeeded in this. Due to the rapidly aging population, the number of patients with brain diseases such as Parkinson’s is expected to grow. They will benefit directly from this development. I expect that the demand for PET diagnostics will increase in the coming years.’ A patent has now been granted for the new production method.
