Abstract
Of the 32 known copper isotopes, some have interesting properties for nuclear medicine, for example the short-lived (60)Cu, (61)Cu, (62)Cu, the moderate long-lived (64)Cu and the long-lived (67)Cu. Due to their emission properties, copper isotopes are suitable for both imaging diagnostics ((60)Cu, (61)Cu, (62)Cu, (64)Cu) and targeted radiotherapy ((64)Cu and (67)Cu). As their chemical properties are virtually identical, a single radiopharmaceutical structure can be labeled with different isotopes, depending on the clinical application. This, combined with the ability to combine radioisotopes with different nuclear properties with the same ligand, makes them extremely versatile. The purpose of this review is to introduce the world of copper radiopharmaceuticals and to summarize recent advances in methods for producing copper radioisotopes and the preclinical research of radiopharmaceuticals labeled with copper radioisotopes.