Of the 32 known copper isotopes, some have interesting properties for nuclear medicine, for example the short-lived ⁶⁰Cu, ⁶¹Cu, ⁶²Cu, the moderate long-lived ⁶⁴Cu and the long-lived ⁶⁷Cu. Due to their emission properties, copper isotopes are suitable for both imaging diagnostics (⁶⁰Cu, ⁶¹Cu, ⁶²Cu, ⁶⁴Cu) and targeted radiotherapy (⁶⁴Cu and ⁶⁷Cu). As their chemical properties are virtually identical, a single radiopharmaceutical structure can be labeled with different isotopes, depending on the clinical application. This, combined with the ability to combine radioisotopes with different nuclear properties with the same ligand, makes them extremely versatile. The purpose of this review is to introduce the world of copper radiopharmaceuticals and to summarize recent advances in methods for producing copper radioisotopes and the preclinical research of radiopharmaceuticals labeled with copper radioisotopes.

Two new pyrazole derivatives, namely compound 1 and compound 2, have been synthesized, and their biological activity has been evaluated. Monocrystals of the obtained compounds were thoroughly investigated using single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, FTIR spectroscopy, and NMR spectroscopy. The results gathered from all three techniques are in good agreement, provide complete information about the structures of 1 and 2, and confirm their high purity. Thermal properties were studied using thermogravimetric analysis; both 1 and 2 are stable at room temperature. In order to better characterize 1 and 2, some physicochemical and biological properties have been evaluated using ADMET analysis. The cytotoxic activity of both compounds was determined using the MTT assay on the A549 cell line in comparison with etoposide. It was determined that compound 2 was effective in the inhibition of human lung adenocarcinoma cell growth and may be a promising compound for the treatment of lung cancer.