Title:Radiolabeled Sugars Used for PET and SPECT Imaging
VOLUME: 9 ISSUE: 3
Author(s):Brianda Barrios-Lopez and Kim Bergstrom
Affiliation:Helsinki University Central Hospital, HUS Medical Imaging Center, POB 340, FI-00029 HUS, Finland.
Keywords:Alzheimer’s disease imaging, cancer imaging, glucose metabolism imaging, radiolabeled glucose analogs.
Abstract:There are new efforts to develop “sugar” probes for molecular imaging focusing on human
clinical studies. Radiolabeled carbohydrates are used as substrate probes for studying specific
processes in tissues and organisms. The best application case is 2-Deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose
(18F-FDG), which is incorporated by cancer cells. The introduction of 18F-FDG has advanced enormously
human Positron Emission Tomography (PET). This review focuses on the importance of 18FFDG
and other sugars as imaging probes in PET and Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography
(SPECT) imaging. In conclusion, new radiolabeled molecules that can be used as radiopharmaceuticals
also would possibly help in the treatment of cancer cells in human patients.