APOTEMA (INFN-CSN5, 2012-2014)
TECHN-OSP (INFN-CSN5, 2015-2017)

APOTEMA and TECHNOSP are acronyms for Accelerator-based Production Of TEchnetium/Molybdenum for medical Applications and TECHNetium direct-production in hOSPital, respectively. The first radioisotope we started working on was indeed the 99mTc. The purpose of this work was the development of a technology able to produce 1–2 Ci amount of 99mTc by low-energy cyclotron in a local nuclear medicine radiopharmacy and to prove its feasibility. 

Main steps in the development of a technology to produce GBq amount of 99mTc

We investigated the 99mTc direct cyclotron production route by the (p,2n) reaction on an isotopically enriched 100Mo target. The irradiation parameters were optimised for an in-hospital cyclotron self-production of 99mTc able to satisfy the needs of a medium-large hospital such as the Policlinico Sant’Orsola Malpighi, to afford its availability in case of shortages.
This is the most complete project in which we developed all the technologies necessary to complete the entire production cycle from the target to a solvent extraction-based automatic separation and purification module, including the target recovery and radiopharmaceutical and preclinical studies. 
With these two projects, the LARAMED group has also contributed to the international IAEA Coordinated Research Project (CRP) No. F22062 focused on Alternative, non HEU-based, 99mTc/ 99mMo supply (2011–2015).

  • More information can be found here:
  • N. Uzunov, L. Melendez-Alafort, M. Bello, G. Cicoria, F. Zagni, L. De Nardo, A. Selva, L. Mou, C. Rossi Alvarez, G. Pupillo, G. Di Domenico, L. Uccelli, A. Boschi, F. Groppi, A. Salvini, A. Taibi, A. Duatti, P. Martini, M. Pasquali, M. Loriggiola, M. Marengo, L. Strada, S. Manenti, A. Rosato and J. Esposito, Radioisotopic purity and imaging properties of cyclotron-produced 99mTc using direct 100Mo(p,2n) reaction (2018) Physics in Medicine and Biology 63, 185021 DOI: 10.1088/ 1361-6560/aadc88 https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1361-6560/aadc88
  • P. Martini, A. Boschi, G. Cicoria, F. Zagni, A. Corazza, L. Uccelli, M. Pasquali, G. Pupillo, M. Marengo, M. Loriggiola, H. Skliarova, L. Mou, S. Cisternino, S. M. Carturan, L. Melendez Alafort, N. M. Uzunov, M. Bello, C. Rossi Alvarez, J. Esposito, A. Duatti (2018) In-house Cyclotron Production of High-purity Tc-99m and Tc-99m Radiopharmaceuticals, Applied Radiation and Isotopes, DOI:10.1016/j.apradiso.2018.05.033 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0969804317312125
  • P. Martini, A. Boschi, G. Cicoria, L. Uccelli, M. Pasquali, A. Duatti, G. Pupillo, M. Marengo, M. Loriggiola, J. Esposito (2016) A solvent-extraction module for cyclotron production of high-purity technetium-99m, Applied Radiation and Isotopes, DOI:10.1016/j.apradiso.2016.10.002 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27744212/
  • G. Pupillo, J. Esposito, F. Haddad, N. Michel, M. Gambaccini (2015) Accelerator-based production of 99Mo: A comparison between the 100Mo(p,x) and 96Zr(a,n) reaction, Journal of Radioanalitical and Nuclear Chemistry, DOI: 10.1007/s10967-015-4091-8 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10967-015-4091-8
  • G. Pupillo, J. Esposito, M. Gambaccini, F. Haddad, N. Michel (2014) Experimental Cross Section Evaluation For Innovative 99Mo Production via the (a,n) Reaction on 96Zr Target, Journal of Radioanalitical and Nuclear Chemistry, DOI: 10.1007/s10967-014-3321-9 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10967-014-3321-9
  • S. Manenti, U. Holzwarth, M. Loriggiola, L. Gini, J. Esposito, F. Groppi, F. Simonelli, The excitation functions of 100Mo(p,x)99Mo and 100Mo(p,2n)99mTc, Applied Radiation and Isotopes, 94 (2014) 344-348, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apradiso.2014.09.010
  • J. Esposito, G. Vecchi, G. Pupillo, A. Taibi, L. Uccelli, A. Boschi, M. Gambaccini (2013) Evaluation of 99Mo and 99mTc Productions Based on a High-Performance Cyclotron, Science and Technology of Nuclear Installations, Article ID 972381, ISSN: 1687-6083, DOI:10.1155/2013/972381 https://www.hindawi.com/journals/stni/2013/972381/
  • L. Uccelli, A. Boschi, M. Pasquali, A. Duatti, G. Di Domenico, G. Pupillo, J. Esposito, M. Giganti, A. Taibi, M. Gambaccini (2013) Influence of the Generator in-Growth Time on the Final Radiochemical Purity and Stability of 99mTc Radiopharmaceuticals, Science and Technology of Nuclear Installations, Article ID 379283, ISSN: 1687-6083, DOI: 10.1155/2013/379283 https://www.hindawi.com/journals/stni/2013/379283/