68Ga-DOTA and analogs: Current status and future perspectives

The construction of the 68Ge/68Ga generator has increased application of radiopharmaceuticals labeled with this isotope in medicine. 68Ga-PET is widely employed in the management of neuroendocrine tumors but favorable chemistry with tri- and tetraaza-ring molecules has opened wide range of 68Ga application in other fields of PET imaging. This review covers the radiopharmaceuticals labeled with gallium in molecular imaging and shows perspectives on the use of gallium-68 as a substitute for technetium-99, fluorine-18 and carbon-11 in some applications.