111Ag phantom images with Cerenkov Luminescence Imaging and digital autoradiography within the ISOLPHARM project

Targeted Radionuclide Therapy (TRT) is a medical technique exploiting radionuclides to combat cancer growth and spread. TRT requires a supply of radionuclides that are currently produced by either cyclotrons or nuclear research reactors. In this context, the ISOLPHARM project investigates the production of innovative radionuclides for medical applications. This production will be based on the forthcoming SPES facility at the Legnaro National Laboratories (LNL) of the National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN), an ISOL facility where high-purity radioactive beams will be used to produce carrier-free radiopharmaceuticals. Previous studies demonstrated that a significant amount of 111Ag, an innovative β/γ emitter suitable for TRT with theranostic applications, can be obtained at the SPES facility. The present work describes the first imaging study on phantoms with 111Ag performed by the ISOLPHARM collaboration. This is a fundamental step to pave the way for the upcoming in vivo studies on the 111Ag-based radiopharmaceutical currently being developed. The imaging potential of this radionuclide was investigated by acquiring phantom images with Cerenkov Luminescence Imaging (CLI) and digital autoradiography (ARG). •111Ag is a candidate for Targeted Radionuclide Therapy.•ISOLPHARM project aims to produce 111Ag at SPES facility.•111Ag-filled phantoms were imaged using Cerenkov Luminescence and autoradiography.•Acquired images were analyzed using a Geant4 Monte Carlo simulation.•Cerenkov Luminescence and autoradiography allow to quantify sample activity.