The mechanism of Ga-67 localization in malignant disease

After almost two decades of research, evidence suggests that transferrin receptors are rate-limiting in Ga-67 uptake. Ga-67 imaging is an in vivo detector of transferrin receptors and an indicator of tumor cell proliferation. Moreover, Ga-67 can be incorporated into tumor cells by a transferrin receptor-independent process. This pathway could be important in patients with saturated transferrin. Data that appear to support the concept that transferrin receptor-independent transporters are rate-limiting can be resolved by considering the presence of the gallate ion, [Ga-67 (OH)(4)](-).