Novel Production Methods of Medical Isotopes: Securing Canada’s Supply Chain

放射性同位素构成了所有核成像和治疗性核医学应用的支柱。从历史上看，加拿大在其国内和国际的生产和供应中发挥了关键作用。最常见的核素核素-99m每天在7.5万名患者身上使用。世界上约40%的Tc-99m供应是由安大略省Chalk River的核反应堆生产的。加拿大核反应堆和其他三个设施最近的停机时间导致了一场全球性的同位素危机，延误了对各种疾病患者的成像和治疗。这三个设施总共供应了全球90%以上的需求。为了避免未来出现这种情况，加拿大政府要求加拿大研究界调查替代同位素的生产。有几种解决方案是可能的，温哥华TRIUMF牵头的低能量回旋加速器(&lt；30 MeV)路线非常有希望，并在2015年获得了NSERC布罗克豪斯奖。许多新的回旋加速器设施现在已经在加拿大各地得到资助和建造，这使得向当地研究社区提供同位素成为可能。

Radioisotopes form the backbone of all nuclear imaging and therapeutic nuclear medicine applications. Historically, Canada has played a key role in its production and supply at home as well as internationally. The most common nuclear imaging isotope, Tc-99m, is used on 75,000 patients daily. Around 40% of the world’s supply of Tc-99m is being produced at the nuclear reactor in Chalk River, Ontario. The recent down time of the Canadian reactor with the three other facilities that together supply more than 90% of the global demand caused a worldwide ‘isotope crisis’ - delaying imaging and treatment of patients with a variety of illnesses. To avoid this scenario in the future, the Canadian government asked the Canadian research community to investigate alternative isotope production. Several solutions are possible and the route via low-energy cyclotrons (< 30 MeV), led by TRIUMF in Vancouver, is very promising and received the NSERC Brockhouse Award in 2015. Numerous new cyclotron facilities have now been funded and built across Canada, making it possible to supply local research communities with isotopes.