Emerging Delivery

"Emerging technologies are further expanding the potential of radiopharmaceuticals by refining delivery methods and exploring novel isotopes. In a first-in-human trial for glioblastoma, instead of using a radioactive isotope bound to a ligand, researchers used a pressure-driven technique to deliver a novel beta-emitting isotope, rhenium-186, encapsulated into nanoliposomes—tiny, hollow spheres made from natural substances like those found in cell membranes—directly into brain tumors. This method bypasses the blood–brain barrier and enables high local radiation doses, exceeding those achievable with external beam radiation therapy, with minimal systemic toxicity. Patients who received more than 100 Gy (units of ionizing radiation dose) experienced a median survival of 17 months—compared to 8 months with standard of care treatment—highlighting the importance of precise, localized delivery in treating difficult-to-access tumors (1104)Brenner AJ, et al. (2025) Nat Commun, 16: 2079.. In the past decade, more than 160 clinical trials have been launched globally to evaluate RLTs across a range of tumor types (497)Global Oncology Trends 2025. Accessed: June 11, 2025.. With ongoing advances in research, radiopharmaceuticals hold promise as the next generation of precision therapies for patients with cancer."