Copper-64 specific activity (the number of decays per second per amount of substance) and low yield through the Cu(n,γ)Cu reaction. At the University of Missouri Research Reactor Center (MURR) Cu was produced using high-energy neutrons via the Zn(n,p)Cu reaction in high specific activity but low yield. Using a biomedical cyclotron the Ni(p,n)Cu nuclear reaction can produce large quantities of the nuclide with high specific activity. Wilson’s disease is a rare condition in which copper is retained excessively in the body. Toxic levels of copper can lead to organ failure and premature death. Cu is used to study whole body retention of
Nanoparticles for drug delivery to the brain cells’ mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum. This leads to further issues in cellular toxicity, such as damage to DNA and disruption of cellular pathways. Silver nanoparticles in particular have a higher degree of toxicity compared to other metal nanoparticles such as gold or iron. Silver nanoparticles can circulate through the body and accumulate easily in multiple organs, as discovered in a study on the silver nanoparticle distribution in rats. Traces of silver accumulated in the rats’ lungs, spleen, kidney, liver, and brain after the nanoparticles were injected subcutaneously. In addition, silver nanoparticles generate more reactive oxygen species compared to other metals,