Advancing Precision Diagnosis and Therapy with Targeted Radiopharmaceuticals in Cancer and Systemic Diseases
A special issue of Pharmaceutics (ISSN 1999-4923). This special issue belongs to the section "Drug Targeting and Design".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2026 | Viewed by 4
Special Issue Editors
Interests: immuno-PET; molecular imaging; theranostics; translational research
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Recent advancements in radiopharmaceuticals have significantly advanced nuclear medicine, particularly in precision diagnostics and targeted therapy for cancer and neurological disorders. Among these innovations, targeted radioligand therapy (TRT) has emerged as a transformative approach that is already improving patient outcomes in prostate and neuroendocrine cancers.
TRT employs small carrier radioligands that function like precision-guided missiles. These carriers first home in on tumour-specific markers, delivering a cytotoxic payload of radioactivity directly to cancer cells while sparing most surrounding healthy tissue. Compared to external beam radiotherapy, TRTs often offer superior tumour targeting, allowing for higher radiation doses with fewer off-target effects.
Radiopharmaceuticals are now used globally on a daily basis, not only for cancer detection and staging but increasingly for therapy, particularly in oncology. They are also widely applied in the management of cardiovascular, endocrine, neurological, and psychiatric conditions. However, despite their growing clinical utility, key challenges persist in both their diagnostic and therapeutic applications.
Access to therapeutic radionuclides, particularly alpha- and beta-emitters, remains limited. The short physical half-lives of many isotopes necessitate their frequent production and rapid distribution, placing considerable logistical demands on infrastructure. The manufacturing process itself requires specialized facilities, trained personnel, and strict regulatory oversight, all of which vary widely between countries and often hinder clinical translation. In addition, radioligand therapies can be associated with off-target effects, especially in organs involved in metabolism and clearance. These challenges collectively restrict access to new agents and slow their translation from bench to bedside applications.
This Special Issue seeks to highlight recent developments in targeted radiopharmaceuticals for both imaging and therapy, with a focus on cancer and other systemic diseases. We welcome contributions on topics including novel radionuclide production and the design and preclinical/clinical evaluation of innovative radiotracers, cutting-edge TRT strategies, and technological advances that aim to streamline production and improve accessibility.
We welcome original research articles and comprehensive reviews.
Dr. Gabriela Kramer-Marek
Dr. Yingqing Lu
Guest Editors
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Keywords
- radiopharmaceuticals
- diagnostics imaging
- theranostics
- radionuclides
- radioligand therapy
- cancer
- neurological disorders
- dosimetry
- preclinical studies
- clinical studies
- clinical translation
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