Preparation, quality control, and absorbed dose estimation of ⁸⁹Zr-DFO-Cetuximab for imaging of EGFR-expressing tumors

In this study, ⁸⁹Zr-DFO-Cetuximab was prepared under the optimized conditions with a radiochemical purity > 99%, and a specific activity of 185 GBq g⁻¹. Cellular studies on EGFR + SW480 colon cancer and EGFR-CHO cell lines were performed, indicating the remarkable capability of ⁸⁹Zr-DFO-Cetuximab for binding to the low EGFR-expressing cells. High accumulation was observed in tumors of nude mice-bearing SW480 cell lines. Human absorbed dose estimation showed the liver receives the highest absorbed dose (0.94 mGy MBq⁻¹). This radiopharmaceutical is the suitable PET agent for imaging of EGFR-expressing tumors at 72–120 h after injection.