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
Liver disease Liver disease Liver disease (also called hepatic disease) is a type of damage to or disease of the liver. There are more than a hundred different kinds of liver disease. Symptoms may include jaundice and weight loss. These are some of the most common: Liver disease can occur through several mechanisms. One general mechanism, increased DNA damage, is shared by some of the major causes of liver disease. These major causes include infection by hepatitis B virus or hepatitis C virus, alcohol abuse, and obesity.<ref name="urlChronic Liver Disease/Cirrhosis | Johns Hopkins Medicine Health Library"></ref> Viral infection by hepatitis B virus