Abstract
Cu-diacetyl-bis(N-methylthiosemicarbazone) (Cu-ATSM) is a neutral divalent Cu-complex with high lipophylicity anf small morecular size. Cu-ATSM easily penetrate the cell membrane including blood-brain barieer, and can be reduced to monovalent Cu only in abnormally reduced conditions such as hypoxia. Using this characteristic, Cu-ATSM could be used for visualizing hypoxic tumors. The intratumoral accumulation of Cu-ATSM was different from that of F-18-fluorodeoxyglucose.The hypoxic tumor selectivity of Cu-ATSM is considered to be useful for the delivery system of therapeutic radionuclide to intratumoral ratdiotherapy. Cu-64 is a beta-emitting radinulide with half life of 13 hours. It could be produced using a ultra-small cyclotron by Ni-64(p, n)Cu-64 reaction. Using Cu-64-ATSM, cell toxicity as well as therapeutic ability was clarified. [J Radiat Res 44:377 (2003)]
