Radiopharmaceuticals: A brief overview of basic pharmacological parameters

Abstract

Radiopharmaceuticals are combinations of two main components, a pharmaceutical component that targets specific moieties, and a radionuclide component that acts through spontaneous degradation for diagnostic, therapeutic purposes, or both simultaneously known as theranostics. By combining diagnostic and therapeutic methods, radiotheranostics play an important role in reducing radiation dosages for patients, increasing treatment effectiveness, controlling side effects, improving patient outcomes, and reducing overall treatment costs. Despite the diagnostic and therapeutic roles, radiopharmaceuticals are beneficial for assessing prognosis, disease progression and possibility of recurrences, treatment planning strategies, and assessing response to treatment. The most incredible role of radiopharmacy is establishing new radiopharmaceuticals to better target and tolerated agents for imaging and treatment in a clinic. These approaches are supported by nuclear medicine non-invasive procedures. It is crucial for radiopharmaceuticals that drug delivery occurs in a highly selective and sensitive manner to minimize the potential radiation risk to patients. This report will provide an overview of the recent progress in radiopharmaceuticals for diagnosis and therapy, including the latest radiotheranostic tracers, key concerns within the field, and future trends and prospects. Additionally, the available and useful radiopharmaceuticals are categorized into separate tables based on their specific characteristics. Presenting information in table format enhances organization and makes the data more understandable and accessible for users. This structured approach allows users to quickly locate relevant information, compare different radiopharmaceuticals, and grasp essential details at a glance. By utilizing tables, we ensure that critical information is not only easy to read but also effectively highlights the unique attributes of each radiopharmaceutical, ultimately improving the decision-making process for healthcare professionals.