Journal of Nuclear Science, Engineering and Technology (JONSAT)
In cooperation with the Iranian Nuclear Society

Investigation of production of main products and impurities in irradiation process of natural rhenium in Tehran reactor and comparison with simulation method by MCNPX

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

H. Ranjbar 1
Z. Pourhabib 2
E. Boustani 3

1 Nuclear Fuel Cycle Research School, Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute, AEOI, P.O.Box: 11365-8486, Tehran – Iran

2 Department of Physics, Payame Noor University, P.O. Box: 19395-4697, Tehran-Iran

3 Reactor and Nuclear Safety Research School, Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute, P.O.Box: 14155-1339, Tehran - Iran

https://doi.org/10.24200/nst.2021.1177
Abstract
Considering the radioactivity of radiopharmaceuticals compounds, there are strict rules and regulations regarding their quality control aspects. One of the essential parameters in quality control is to determine the type and amount of radiopharmaceuticals impurities in order to ensure the prescribing of the correct dose. Impurity values are usually small, but these small amounts are also important and should be measured with high accuracy. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the simultaneous production of 186Re and 188Re with one target material and to investigate the production of probable impurities. To achieve the goal of this research, the work was carried out in two phases. In phase 1, a model based on the MCNPX code is designed to simulate target irradiation. In phase 2, the experimental assessment will be carried out using natural rhenium irradiation in Tehran research reactor. Both simulation and practical results showed that 186Re and 188Re can be produced with appropriate and nearly equal activities, simultaneously. Also, the amount of impurities is negligible compared to the main products. Our findings indicated that experimental data are in good agreement with simulation data (bias error less than 5%) and as a result, the simulation method is the powerful and useful technique to investigate different aspects of radioisotope production in reactor.

Highlights

1. E. Seregn, et al., Treatment with tandem [90Y] DOTA-TATE and [177Lu] DOTA-TATE of neuroendocrine tumours refractory to conventional therapy. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging, 41(2), 223 (2014).
 
2. J. Kunikowska, et al, Clinical results of radionuclide therapy of neuroendocrine tumours with 90Y-Dotatate and tandem 90Y/177Lu-Dotatate: which is a better therapy option?. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging, 38(10), 1788-1797 (2011).
 
3. H. Ranjbar, et al, Dosimetric evaluation of 153Sm-EDTMP, 177Lu-EDTMP and 166Ho-EDTMP for systemic radiation therapy: Influence of type and energy of radiation and half-life of radionuclides. Radiat Phys Chem. 108, 60-64 (2015).
 
4. M. Alavi, et al, 177Lu/153Sm-Ethylenediamine Tetramethylene Phosphonic Acid Cocktail: A Novel Palliative Treatment for Patients with Bone Metastases. Cancer biotherapy & radiopharmaceuticals. 34(5), 280-287 (2019).
 
5. H. Ranjbar, et al, Determination of human absorbed dose of cocktail of 153Sm/177Lu-EDTMP, based on biodistribution data in rats. J. Radioanal Nucl Chem. 307(2), 1439-1444 (2016).
 
6. P. Unak, B. Cetinkaya, I. Unak, Absorbed dose estimates at the cellular level for 186Re and 188Re. Radiat Phys Chem. 73(3), 137-146 (2005).
 
7. K. Kothari, et al, Preparation, stability studies and pharmacological behavior of [186Re] Re–HEDP, Applied radiation and isotopes, 51(1), 51-58 (1999).
 
8. D. Bagatti, et al., Analytical and radioanalytical quality control of purity and stability of radiopharmaceutical compound [186gRe] Re-HEDP for bone metastases pain palliation. Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, 263(2), 515-520 (2005).
 
9. H. Ranjbar, et al, Development of 153Sm/177Lu-EDTMP as a possible therapeutic complex. Iran J Nucl Med. 25(1), 11-16 (2017).
 
10. E. Boustani, R. Shahhosseini, M. Hassanzadeh, The use of new irradiation instrument in a pool type research reactor, Progress in Nuclear Energy, 113, 45-52 (2019).
 
11. E. Boustani, H. Ranjbar, A. Rahimian, Developing a new target design for producing 99Mo in a MTR reactor. Applied Radiation and Isotopes, 147, 121-128 (2019).
 
12. D.B. Pelowitz, MCNPXTM user’s manual. Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos. (2005).
 
13. Gilmore, Gordon, Practical gamma-ray spectroscopy. John Wiley & Sons, (2011).

Keywords

Impurity
Radiopharmaceutical
186Re/188Re cocktail
Tehran research reactor
1. E. Seregn, et al., Treatment with tandem [90Y] DOTA-TATE and [177Lu] DOTA-TATE of neuroendocrine tumours refractory to conventional therapy. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging, 41(2), 223 (2014).
 
2. J. Kunikowska, et al, Clinical results of radionuclide therapy of neuroendocrine tumours with 90Y-Dotatate and tandem 90Y/177Lu-Dotatate: which is a better therapy option?. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging, 38(10), 1788-1797 (2011).
 
3. H. Ranjbar, et al, Dosimetric evaluation of 153Sm-EDTMP, 177Lu-EDTMP and 166Ho-EDTMP for systemic radiation therapy: Influence of type and energy of radiation and half-life of radionuclides. Radiat Phys Chem. 108, 60-64 (2015).
 
4. M. Alavi, et al, 177Lu/153Sm-Ethylenediamine Tetramethylene Phosphonic Acid Cocktail: A Novel Palliative Treatment for Patients with Bone Metastases. Cancer biotherapy & radiopharmaceuticals. 34(5), 280-287 (2019).
 
5. H. Ranjbar, et al, Determination of human absorbed dose of cocktail of 153Sm/177Lu-EDTMP, based on biodistribution data in rats. J. Radioanal Nucl Chem. 307(2), 1439-1444 (2016).
 
6. P. Unak, B. Cetinkaya, I. Unak, Absorbed dose estimates at the cellular level for 186Re and 188Re. Radiat Phys Chem. 73(3), 137-146 (2005).
 
7. K. Kothari, et al, Preparation, stability studies and pharmacological behavior of [186Re] Re–HEDP, Applied radiation and isotopes, 51(1), 51-58 (1999).
 
8. D. Bagatti, et al., Analytical and radioanalytical quality control of purity and stability of radiopharmaceutical compound [186gRe] Re-HEDP for bone metastases pain palliation. Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, 263(2), 515-520 (2005).
 
9. H. Ranjbar, et al, Development of 153Sm/177Lu-EDTMP as a possible therapeutic complex. Iran J Nucl Med. 25(1), 11-16 (2017).
 
10. E. Boustani, R. Shahhosseini, M. Hassanzadeh, The use of new irradiation instrument in a pool type research reactor, Progress in Nuclear Energy, 113, 45-52 (2019).
 
11. E. Boustani, H. Ranjbar, A. Rahimian, Developing a new target design for producing 99Mo in a MTR reactor. Applied Radiation and Isotopes, 147, 121-128 (2019).
 
12. D.B. Pelowitz, MCNPXTM user’s manual. Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos. (2005).
 
13. Gilmore, Gordon, Practical gamma-ray spectroscopy. John Wiley & Sons, (2011).
Journal of Nuclear Science, Engineering and Technology (JONSAT)
Volume 41, Issue 4 - Serial Number 94
December 2020
Pages 146-152

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