Preparation and quality control of scandium-46 bleomycin as a possible therapeutic agent

ABSTRACT

Due to interesting therapeutic properties of [46]Sc and antineoblastic antibiotic, bleomycin [BLM], 46Scbleomycin [[46]Sc-BLM] was developed as a possible therapeutic compound. In this work, Sc-46 chloride was obtained by thermal neutron flux [4 × 10[13] n.cm[-2].s[-1]] of natural metallic scandium sample followed by dissolution in acidic media as a substitute for [47]Sc in radiolabeling studies which was further used for labeling of bleomycin [BLM] followed by stability studies as well as biodistribution in wild-type rats. Sc-46 was obtained in high radiochemical purity [ITLC, >99%, two systems] as well as acceptable specific activity. At optimized conditions a radiochemical purity of 98% was obtained for [46]Sc-BLM shown by ITLC [Specific activity, 740 GBq/mmole]. The accumulation of the radiolabeled compound in lungs, liver and spleen demonstrates a similar pattern to the other radiolabeled bleomycins. Sc-BLM is a possible therapeutic agent in human malignancies and the efficacy of the compound should be tested in various tumor-bearing models