Localization Mechanisms of Radiopharmaceuticals

Abstract

Scintigraphic techniques have opened a new era of developments in the localization of infectious and cancerous foci. Diseases area targeting mechanisms of radiopharmaceuticals encompasses visualization, characterization, and measurement of physiological and biological functioning at targeted sites in addition to measure the area and density of the disease. The accumulation of a radiopharmaceutical at specific organ is based upon numerous processes such as enzymatic interactions, receptor binding site, transport of chemical species and elimination of damaged cells from circulation by a normal metabolic process. PET and SPECT are developing scanning techniques that provides effective diagnostic tool to identify pathophysiology of diseased cells. In this chapter, we are exploring and explaining different mechanisms of radiopharmaceutical localization for imaging and therapeutic processes. The knowledge of these mechanisms will help to develop target based new radiopharmaceuticals using variety of medically used radioisotopes either for imaging or therapy of diseased cells.