Albumin microspheres labeled with Ga-67 by chelation: concise communication.

Albumin microspheres have been synthesized eith EDTA and DTPA chelating groups covalently bound to their surface. The microspheres may be labeled with Ga-67 at high yield (97 +/- 2%) by transcomplexation from a 0.1 M Ga-67 acetate solution. With EDTA microspheres the resulting label dissociates only slightly after no detectable dissociation over this period. By contrast, microspheres without chelating groups lose their label virtually completely under these conditions. Following intravenous administration of sized Ga-67 DTPA microspheres in mice, about (84 +/- 16)% of the activity localizes in the lungs at 5 min, with (60 +/- 7)% remaining after 2 hr. Since labeling is by chelation, the microspheres may also be tagged with other metallic radionuclides